


Fire Emblem Heroes: Book III - Kiran x Alfonse

by CluLessFanGirl



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: F/M, Fire Emblem - Freeform, Fire Emblem Heroes - Freeform, Nintendo - Freeform, alfonse x kiran, feh - Freeform, feh fanfic, fire emblem fanfic, fire emblem heroes fanfic, kiran x alfonse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 27
Words: 77,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27949082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CluLessFanGirl/pseuds/CluLessFanGirl
Summary: Just as peace once again returns to Askr, Prince Alfonse and Princess Sharena receive disturbing news:The long-dead are arising and beginning to attack the Askran army, including long-defeated enemies and even royal ancestors. Prince Alfonse is called to speak with his father, King Gustav of Askr. Both the father and son have a rocky history, creating a troubling barrier between Askr's King and Prince.In the depths of Hel, the Realm of the Dead, its Queen is urging her daughter Eir to follow her dark path and join her army of the undead. Yet, despite her macabre upbringing, Eir has no desire to follow her role as the Princess of Hel and longs to live among the living and wishes to experience the light and warmth of life.The Queen of Hel, also named Hel, has dark plans with Princess Sharena. Plans that will change Askr, but most importantly Alfonse, forever.
Relationships: Kiran x Alfonse (Fire Emblem Heroes)
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is also available on Quotev.com under the name CluLessFanGirl

"Do you have your tome, ready?"

I looked up at Robin then back down on the open book that was lying open on my left hand. Looking back up at the female tactician, I could only give her an uncertain look. "Um..."

"It's okay to be nervous!" She said, giving me a reassuring smile. "I have full confidence that you can get the hang of this. Just look!"

I looked back at my tome—Ilmr's Fury—and was startled to see the pages gracefully flipping over each other, as if an invisible hand was carefully but rapidly flipping through the book. As exhilarating as it was, it was still an eerie sight, and I watched with cautious fascination until the pages came into a stop.

The tome I was wielding, Ilmr's Fury, was a recent addition to my gear.

After the death of Surtr and the victory against Múspell, we were all shocked to find a tome on the same altar where Briedablik rested before Commander Anna used it to summon me. It had a glossy mother-of-pearl covering with gold decorating. On the cover it had a title spelled in the Askran alphabet that was studded with jewels and precious stones.

On closer inspection it was revealed that the tome was labeled "Ilmr's Fury" and no one could see its contents except for me, and thus started my magic training. Both male and female Robin (it was still a mystery to us why there were two of them of opposite genders) offered to assist me in learning the contents of this mysterious book.

So, every day, I would be taken to the Training Tower where I would be taught different spells. In an interesting twist, there were quite a few spells that both Robins were unfamiliar with, resulting in new volunteers to assist me.

Today is was me with female Robin, but all of my Tome-Wielded Heroes would sometimes drop by to watch and offer tips. But to my dismay, all of my Tome Wielded-Heroes were watching me, which was a small crowd consisting of Sanaki, a 10-year-old Apostle who was all about manners despite her age.

There was Olwen (two of her to be exact, resulting in much confusion), both of who were standing next to each other like identical twins. I didn't know much about her, only that she was the younger sister of Reinhardt and she strongly stood by her views.

There was Gharnef, who was constantly monitored by Alfonse, Sharena and Anna. I hated it when he watched, always from the shadows, a sinister expression on his face. Thankfully he never had to help me... yet.

There was Nino, a sweet, young 14-year-old girl who was always eager to help with anything, often with a tray of sweets she made. I was beyond shocked to learn that she was once part of a group of assassins called the Black Fang. I've always been curious about her past, but something held me back from asking.

Standing near Nino was Gunnthrá, Fjorm's elder sister. I instantly felt more comfortable whenever I saw her watching me. She always made me feel safe and protected, and I always turned to her whenever I had troubling dreams.

I spotted Tharja near the back (uncomfortably close to Gharnef), her shadowed eyes focused carefully on Robin, a hopeful look on her face. Apparently she was deeply in love with Robin (regardless their gender) and was often eager to assist Robin... assist me. Despite her dark temper, a part of me was never afraid of her.

And then there was Aversa... The best way to describe her would be everything that Tharja is threatening to be. I've lost count on how many of my male heroes she's seduced. This officially became an issue when she tried to make moves on me. It's become such a problem that Alfonse, Sharena and Anna have been discussing plans about it.

I was pleased to spot Mae in the small crowd, her pink pigtails sticking out like a sore thumb. She shot me an excited grin, and I found myself smiling back. Mae's enthusiasm was contagious, as was her positive attitude.

Next to her was Tailtiu, who was looking just as eager and excited. I noticed a while ago that the two were becoming fast friends, despite living in alternate Worlds. While Tailtiu was bright and friendly, I could tell she was using that to hide something, but I never called attention to it.

Standing just out of view was tiny Azura, holding her tome close to her chest. In Mae and Tailtiu's excitement they accidentally bumped and prodded her, but she didn't seem to take notice. Azura was always hanging back, constantly with a serious expression that shouldn't be on a girl her age. I made a mental note to ask Mae and Tailtiu to watch after her.

Then there was Boey, who was constantly being teased by Mae. I often sensed hope from him when I was seeking a proper tutor for a specific spell, but I've always kind of avoided him. I've seen his magic in action, and... well, simply put, I've seen better.

Smiling serenely next to Boey was Miciah, who caught my eye and gave me an encouraging nod. Something everyone admired about her was she always put others before herself and never hesitated to help anyone in need.

As I self consciously scanned my crowd, I spotted Brunnya, Reinhardt, Julia, Rinea, Odin, L'Arachel, Merric, Soren, Ishtar, Linde and Cecilia.

Oh gods, I thought in mute anxiety, resisting the urge to gulp. Did every mage I ever summoned come to watch?

More nervous than ever at seeing the crowd that was watching me, I held the book closer to me and looked at the page it stopped at. It was titled Gronnblade, and it had passages of writing that I still couldn't read and had what appeared to be diagrams of mages in specific stances while swords were falling from above.

"Um...Gronnblade."

"Excellent," Robin said, looking pleasantly surprised. "This means that I myself can teach you the basics of this spell."

"Wait!"

I felt a tugging of my arm and I turned to see Nino looking up at me with hopeful blue eyes, her tome tucked under her left arm. Once she saw that she had my attention she smiled shyly and asked, "Do you think that I can teach you this spell?"

I looked at Robin, vaguely surprised to see her smile faltering uncertainly. Finally she sighed and said, "I guess this is all up to Kiran. What do you think?"

I felt every eye turn to me, and I glanced at Robin, then to Nino. I remembered how eager Nino always was to help, so I gave her a small smile and said, "I trust Nino to be the best mentor for Gronnblade." As Nino beamed at me, I mentally apologized to Robin, who was forcing a supportive smile on her face.

After Nino was chosen, a majority of my crowd drifted away, some looking disappointed and some looking bored, and I suddenly felt much more confident.

"It may look pretty complex, but it's actually pretty easy," she said, the pages of her tome turning by themselves. "Let's see if we can try it on these dummies over there."

About ten feet away were two dummies wearing beat-up Emblian armor.

"So what you have to do," Nino instructed, holding her tome close to her as she steadily held out her other hand, "is to feel your magic powering up from within you." As she spoke, a green aura began to ruffle her cape and emerald-colored hair, as if in a slight breeze.

"Then you have to project this growing energy beyond you and above your enemy." Nino's green aura was drifting away from her person and began to take a misty form and started to slowly drift above the dummy, like a sinister grass-colored raincloud.

"And finally," Nino said, her blue eyes sharpening in concentration, "you unleash this built up energy onto your victim! Hah!"

The green cloud suddenly burst with similar-colored swords that all rained down on top of the dummy with deadly precision, effectively shredding the burlap and straw to shreds.

"There!" she said, looking at the mutilated dummy with moderate satisfaction. "See? Easy!"

"Keep in mind that Kiran has never done this spell before," one of the Olwens reminded her.

"Go, Kiran!" Mae cheered.

"You can do it!" Tailtiu joined.

Feeling exceedingly self-conscious, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, straining to build up my magic. Much to my surprise, I felt a tingling warmth swelling in my chest, and I peeked open my eyes to see that I was actually beginning to form my own aura.

It definitely wasn't as strong nor as bright as Nino's, but I ignored this and imagined an invisible hand fanning the energy towards the other dummy. It was dimmer and shapeless, and it slowly drifted above my target. I could sense the anticipation rising in the air, and I finally released the energy with a slightly strained grunt. To my disappointment, only a handful of swords rained down, over half of them missing the dummy. Much to my embarrassment, those who remained to watch applauded politely.

"That was very good!" Nino said appraisingly, but I shook my head and used the Ilmr's Fury to cover my blushing face.

"It wasn't," I moaned, but Nino patted my shoulder sympathetically and said, "That was your first try. I promise you did good!"

"I guess," I said, smiling in spite of myself. "I think it helps that you're the one teaching me this."

Nino beamed happily. "I'm glad I'm here to teach you, Kiran!"

When I drew the courage to lower my book from my face, I saw that my small crowd was dispersing. Both Mae and Tailtiu were discussing animatedly on how they were going to teach me their signature attacks.

"I can't wait to show her what I have in my Book of Orchids!"

"I hope I'll be a good teacher for Kiran! Blárblade is easy, but you think she can learn anything from my Tome of Thoron?"

"Well..."

I couldn't help but feel a small bubble of pride. If it wasn't for me, none of these heroes would be here, and I genuinely was a little pleased with my first result of Gronnblade.

Just as I was thinking about heading to the bathhouse, I noticed that Alfonse was standing at the entrance. How long was he watching?

Struggling to conceal the redness that was threatening to spread across my face again, I shyly approached him, and he said, "I was just watching your progress, and I'm pleased to see how far you've come."

In spite of the praise I was receiving, I couldn't help but notice on how cool and formal he was speaking. It sounded almost as if he was speaking to another nameless soldier... And was I imagining it, or was Alfonse avoiding my gaze?

"Thank you," I said in an identically formal tone, and Alfonse gave the smallest of winces.

An unbearably awkward silence spread between us, and to make matters worse I realized that everyone else had left the Training Tower—it was just me and Alfonse.

This time I couldn't hide the heat that was covering my entire face, including my ears. I wanted to tell him that I was about to head for a bath to escape this awkward silence, but I thankfully caught just in time on how wildly inappropriate that sounded. I snuck a glance at Alfonse's face and was startled to see that his face was beginning to grow pink as well.

"Listen, Kiran," he said, clearing his throat, focusing on the floor between us. "You have been with us for a while, and... and, well, I've been meaning to say—"

"AAALLLFFFOOONNNSSSEEE!"

We both jumped, and I almost laughed aloud in relief when I saw that Sharena was sprinting towards us, her face a mixture of delight and fear. She skidded to a halt in front of me and Alfonse and was bent over, trying to catch her breath.

"Alfonse... hah... hah... Kiran..."

"What is it, Sharena?" Alfonse asked, looking both extremely annoyed and also relieved.

"Big... news..." she gasped, still heaving for breath. "Scouts... looking... hah.... hah..."

"And?" Alfonse asked, a frown developing on his face. "What is it?"

Struggling to stand up straight, Sharena brushed some loose hair out of her face and said with more clarity, "The scouts... they saw someone approaching ... on horse..."

"Who is it?" Alfonse asked with growing worry. "Veronica? Xander? Zacharias?"

Sharena shook her head, her eyes huge. "No, it's—"

"Prince Alfonse! Princess Sharena!"

The three of us turned to Commander Anna's call, where she stopped and gave a quick bow of her head. "I take it the Princess has told you?" she asked Alfonse.

"Not really," Alfonse said, casting his younger sister a somewhat bemused glance, and she pulled a face at him. "What is it, Commander? Sharena mentioned something about our scouts spotting someone."

"Yes, that's just it," Anna said, nodding seriously.

"Then who is it?" Alfonse asked.

"It's Henriette—your mother."


	2. The Arrival of Death

In all of my time being here, I have rarely heard any mention of Alfonse's and Sharena's parents. I was admittedly more than a little curious, but I had a feeling that they weren't mentioned often for a reason, so I never pursued the topic.

As soon as Alfonse had heard of his mother's arrival, the most peculiar expression crossed his face. Although it was brief and quickly concealed, it looked like it was a mixture of shock and happiness, but also a mixture of apprehension... and fear.

Oblivious to my noticing of this, Alfonse quickly turned to me and said, "I think it's about time you meet Queen Henriette—my mother."

As Alfonse, Sharena, me and Anna were all quickly heading to the castle entrance where she waited, I could hear the two siblings speak to each other in low voices. Their voices were so soft that I almost couldn't hear them, but I think their conversation went something like this:

_Alfonse: Why would she suddenly arrive like this? Without even a letter of warning?_

_Sharena: It must be some sort of emergency—the kind where there's no time to wait for letters._

_Alfonse: You don't think it has to do with...?_

_Sharena: Alfonse..._

_Alfonse: He would have come with mother if this wasn't about him._

_Sharena: Whatever the case may be, you're going to have to speak to him._

_Alfonse: I'm aware, but... I can't help but remember the last conversation we held._

_Sharena: Things will go okay, brother. Speaking to mother will explain everything, I'm sure of it._

As we were heading to the entrance, we quickly walked past guards who seemed to be speaking amongst themselves. Finally at one point Anna snapped, "The Queen is coming, so everyone please be on your best behavior!"

We didn't have to go outdoors to meet Henriette. She was in the Commons Room with a majority of the other Heroes. She was a kindly-looking woman with a white fur coat, her golden hair pulled up close to her head. She was quite popular with the other Heroes, especially the tiny manaketes, who had eagerly crowded at her feet.

Fae was tugging on the hem of the Queen's robes, her eyes wide. "You're Sharena's mama?" she asked.

"I am," Henriette said, smiling warmly down at her.

Tiki looked up at the Queen in awe. "Your hair is _really_ shiny!" she exclaimed. "Just like Princess Sharena's!"

"Your eyes are the same, too!" Kana said, pointing at the Queen's face. "They're both green!"

"Aren't you sweet?" Henriette laughed delightedly.

Finally, she spotted her son and daughter, and her smile grew. "Alfonse! Sharena!" she exclaimed happily. She motioned them towards her, her eyes shining fondly at her two children.

Alfonse gave me an apologetic glance and joined his mother, who was tightly embracing Sharena. When she saw Alfonse she pulled him into her chest next to Sharena, and for a moment me and Anna watched the scene with warm smiles. Meanwhile Lyn gently shepherded the manaketes out of the room, and the others took hint and also left to give the Queen and her children some privacy.

Alfonse was the first to gently withdraw. He was frowning at his mother with visible concern, and Sharena soon took suit.

"Mother?" Alfonse asked.

"What are you doing here?" Sharena asked with equal worry.

Instead of answering, Henriette just gazed at her children with undisguised love and said, "Both of you look so well! I'm glad."

"Your Majesty," Anna said uncertainly, bowing politely. "Did you come alone without your guards?"

"Commander Anna!" Henriette exclaimed, beaming at her. "It's been some time! Thank you for taking Sharena and Alfonse under your wing."

 _Is it just me_ , I thought, _or is the Queen avoiding answering their questions?_

"What a splendid castle you have!" she gushed, looking around the Commons Room, evidently impressed. "And all of your Heroes are just lovely."

My smile was beginning to tighten, and just as I was debating on whether to leave or not Alfonse placed a hand on his mother's shoulder and said, "I'd like to introduce you to our summoner, Kiran."

Then came the embarrassingly familiar scene with someone gazing at me in marvel and respect— something I _still_ wasn't used to.

"So _YOU'RE_ Kiran?" Henriette gasped, instantly reaching towards me. Self-conscious, I forced myself towards her and she instantly pulled me into a hug; over her shoulder I could see Sharena grinning, and Alfonse looking exceedingly embarrassed.

Strangely, the hug felt... _nice_. Somewhere in my clouded memories I remembered hugging my own mother like this. This realization unexpectedly made me sad, so I pushed the thought away.

"I've heard all about you from Sharena!" Henriette gushed, grasping my shoulders and holding me out at arms length, as if to admire my looks. "It's such a treat to meet you! You've done so much for Askr."

For what felt like the millionth time today, I blushed a violent pink and smiled awkwardly, knowing at this point there was no use in denying that I wasn't as great as everyone said I was.

"I am Henriette," she said, and to my embarrassment, bowed to me. "Thank you for all you have done for my children."

At a loss for words, I turned to Alfonse in a silent plead of help.

"Mother," Alfonse said, his words and tone carefully chosen. "Why have you come?"

I was expecting another evasion of answering, but instead Henriette smiled benignly and said, "To bring you home. Your father needs to speak to you."

"He does?" Alfonse asked, his expression faltering to thinly veiled dismay. "Last we spoke, I understood that he..." For a tense moment Alfonse struggled to find words before finally finishing, "He did not wish to see me again."

 _What?_ I thought, startled. I thought I knew Alfonse pretty well, and I couldn't think of anything he would have done to receive this kind of treatment. I was soon surprised to feel a rush of sympathy for the young prince, but I knew my place on not speaking of this.

Luckily Henriette's face softened with understanding before saying, "Don't worry. He's the one who asked me to come get you. He wishes to speak to you privately."

Unable to resist a sneak a glance at Alfonse's reaction, my stomach tightened when I saw that his complexion was a shade paler than normal, and his jaw was set. "What could be so important?" he asked, his tone chilly. Sharena gave him a nervous glance but said nothing.

Unfazed, Henriette just smiled at him. "Oh, you know how he is," she said simply. "You'll find out soon enough."

I glanced at Alfonse again, and I thought I caught a flash of annoyance in his eyes, and I had a suspicion why. Whatever had happened between him and his father was much more than a result of "how he is." At this point I was beginning to wonder if I was actually going to figure out why there was a rift between Alfonse and his father.

"Let's get your things, Alfonse, and we'll be on our way!"

Without much warning I was whisked to my living quarters to gather everything I would need for this trip. According to the Queen it was only about half a day's worth of a trip, so I wouldn't need to pack much.

Retrieving my satchel, I put Ilmr's Fury in it. Feeling unprepared and unsure what else to pack, I gathered a few stamina potions and quickly reconvened with the others. As we were getting our horses ready, I turned and spotted Genny, who was watching the whole scene with the tip of a quill brushing her upper lip, her eyes wide and uncertain.

She blushed a little when she caught my eye and said, "Oh, sorry! I just heard that you were going on a trip, and..."

Knowing very well that Genny was too shy to voluntary confront me like this, I heard Soliel whisper, "C'mon, girl! You _got_ this!"

"Do you want to come on the trip with us?" I asked, smiling with understanding.

Genny hesitated, anxiously fingering the amulet that she always wore around her neck before finally nodding.

Before I could say anything, Soleil rounded the corner, guiding a horse (which weren't allowed inside the castle). "I already knew that you were going to say yes," she said to me unapologetically, "so I got Genny a horse ready."

"But isn't this _Lyn's_ horse?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"It's the fastest horse we have here!" Soleil said, unabashed. "Plus, I'm pretty sure Lyn will say yes if we ask her to borrow it."

" _Soleil_ ," I sighed, "return Lyn's horse to the stables and bring Genny one of the army's horses. And don't you _dare_ try to bring me Sigurd's horse again."

" _Fine_ ," Soleil sighed in disappointment. "But just so you know, the Askran horses are _sooo_ not as cute as the Hero's horses!"

Thankfully within a couple of minutes Genny was on a normal Askran horse with me, Anna, Sharena, Alfonse and Henriette. It was mid-day when we headed out, all of us with a horse for ourselves. Admittedly, I was a little pleased on the fact that I had a horse to myself.

Our formation was Henriette in the front with Alfonse and Sharena flanking her from behind. I was riding behind Alfonse, Genny on my right, Anna on her left, just behind Sharena. Together the six of us rode in a serious but thoughtful silence.

Hours later, as we were quickly trotting through a seemingly endless sea of heather and lavender, I remembered that Alfonse was about to tell me something before Sharena interrupted.

I gave my horse (a pure midnight-black steed) a small nudge with my heels and it picked up speed until it was beside Alfonse's horse (a silvery-white mare). I figured Alfonse would know why I caught up to him, so I have him about a minute to remember what he was going to tell me.

After several minutes, I came to an annoying realization. He _knew_ what I was going to ask, he _knew_ it would require bringing up the awkward moment from before and he _knew_ whatever he was going to say would embarrass him.

 _Looks like I have to be the adult here_ , I thought, both irked and amused. Now I was uncomfortably aware that Henriette was unaware of my... _developing_ relationship with Alfonse, and if she happened to overhear...

Then I remembered how cool and formal Alfonse was this morning, after my mage training. Suddenly I was much more confident and I politely cleared my throat before saying with an innocent voice, "Excuse me, Prince, but I can't help but recall a conversation we were holding earlier today."

The effects this had were perfect. Everyone subconsciously slowed their horses to make eavesdropping easier, and I sensed that every pair of eyes was curiously focused on Alfonse, who was beginning to grow pink in his face.

"Yes... I recall," he said. He seemed to be hiding the urge to grit his teeth. "But due to more _important_ matters... I was unable to finish... what I was intending to speak to you about."

This time I was unable to hide a sly smile spreading across my face. Anna and Sharena were giving each other suspecting looks, and I noticed that Genny's eyes were wide as they could be and were firmly focused on her tightened hands on her lap.

"Come to think of it," Sharena mused thoughtfully, "before I came to you guys to announce mother's arrival, I noticed that— _ooohhhhhhh_..."

As she was speaking, Alfonse shot a look at Sharena that I couldn't see, but whatever the look said, it helped Sharena understand the awkwardness of what was happening. I stifled a snicker when I saw Alfonse's shoulders tense when Sharena and Anna exchanged mischievous grins.

Glancing at me and Alfonse interestedly, Henriette said, "Go on, Alfonse. It's rude to keep silent to a young lady such as Kiran is." At this point Sharena's face was also pink, but with the strain of containing her giggles.

"Apologies, Kiran," Alfonse said stiffly, "but the matters that I planned on discussing were on a more... er, _private_ matter."

The expressions on Sharena and Anna's faces showed they struck gold. Sharena gave some shrill-coughs to hide her giggling, and Anna winked at me and pulled a small notebook out of her side pocket to write something down; knowing Anna, it was going to help her make a fortune, and I could only imagine what she was going to do with this information.

Genny, meanwhile, kept snapping her gaze from Alfonse to me, her jaw hanging half open in awe on what she had just witnessed. I wondered if Genny was the gossiping type. If she was, then I soon realized on how much my little joke would backfire. If Nina heard a rumor of something happening between me and Alfonse...

Without warning the horses halted and began to nervously paw at the ground, snorting loudly. I looked up at the sky and saw that that it was late dusk, just around time when stars would become noticeable. Strangely, all I could see was the moon, dim and lonely in the sky.

"Something's not right," Anna said, reaching in a saddle pocket to pull out a torch which she lit. The flames from the torch didn't seem to cast much light, and she said, "Everyone, light your torches!"

After the six of us lit our torches, the fading dusk light vanished, as if it were snuffed out. The only light we could see was from the torches, and even then those didn't provide much visibility.

Heart rattling in my chest, I began to look around in search of what could be the source of this unsettling feeling. As I did, I couldn't help but notice that Genny looked to be the most nervous out of all of us, holding her staff close to her chest, her wide eyes glancing about anxiously.

"Everyone, be on your guard," Anna said, her eyes narrowed.

I was just about to reach for _Ilmr's Fury_ , when something caught my eye. There, in the darkness, I could see silvery objects reflect the flames. Almost like armor...

"We're under attack!" Anna shouted, her horse rising on its hind legs, pawing at the air. "Kiran—what should we do?"

Only just remembering that I was everyone's tactician, I turned to Genny and said, "Genny—use your staff to give us light! Can you do this?"

"Oh—right!" she squeaked. There was a sudden blinding silver light coming from the head of Genny's staff, and that's when instincts took over. "Battle formations, everyone!" I said.

Thanks to Genny, the enemies were much more visible now. The problem was, it was brightest where Genny was, resulting with us resorting to battle dangerously close to her.

"How many do we have?" Anna asked, and after a quick headcount I exclaimed, "Around thirty-five! Possibly more?"

"Hah!" Anna said, unsheathing her axe, Nòatùn. "I'm pretty sure we're more than _they_ bargained for!" Despite her bragging, I had a difficulty ignoring the uncertain note in her voice.

"But how could the enemy be here?" Alfonse demanded, struggling to calm his horse as he drew his bejeweled sword, Fòlkvangr.

"We're nowhere near the border!" Sharena said, nearly dropping her spear, Fensalir.

"Nor have I heard anything from our border patrols!" Anna grunted as she swung her axe across the back of one of the nearly invisible enemies, nearly chopping Genny's head off. "Yet the size of this army... where did they _come_ from?"

One of the enemies, a gaunt soldier with severely damaged armor and haunted eyes, did a clumsy lunge at me with a rusty, bent sword. I tried to scoop out Ilmr's Fury, but I was too late—the sword was swung and would have sliced right across my chest if there hadn't been a burst of light that hit the soldier on its side, sending it sprawling.

Before I could thank Genny, something caught hold of my ankle and pulled me off my horse. I landed painfully on my side and was soon pinned to the ground. A skeletal soldier with a dusty arrow protruding from its throat was pressing me to the ground. Seemingly from nowhere another soldier raised a crooked dagger above my chest.

My heart throbbing painfully in my throat, I blindly grasped at my side until I managed to grab something. _Breidablik_! It must have fallen out of my bag as I fell. Unsure what was going to happen, I pointed the Divine Weapon at the head of the dagger-wielding foe and pressed the trigger.

A laser-like beam rocketed out of my weapon, a pure-white jet of light that was slicing through the darkness like a cleaver through tender meat. The force of this sent me skidding backwards until I finally tumbled to a halt.

 _What just happened?_ I've been able to shoot bolts of light out of Breidablik, but nothing like _that_...

Shaken, I managed to get to my feet only to see that the battle was over. On a less comforting note, everyone was staring at me in complete and utter shock. The jet of light I accidentally launched left a stripe of scorched earth in its path, some patches of it still smoking. I hardly noticed that stars had returned to the sky, providing sufficient light.

The only one who didn't seem too shocked by what I had done was the Queen, and she gently brushed away Genny, who was keen on healing some bruises on her face. "Look at the soldier uniforms," she said, unaware that Sharena, Alfonse and Anna were still gazing at me in shock. They forced their attention to the corpses in the battlefield, and registered this with confusion.

"These uniforms," he said, crouching by one of the fallen soldiers. "They're... _Emblan_ soldiers."

"No," Henriette said, her expression grave. "They're from Hel."

"Hel?" Alfonse asked her, standing back up. Without warning, the fallen bodies began to melt into the ground, like receding shadows. "They're vanishing," he said, watching the whole scene grimly. "Like specters...." Looking back up at his mother he asked, "What is this?"

His question wasn't a forceful demand or an order, but merely like a question a small child would ask their mother—the kind of question that would have the child struggle to understand upon hearing its answer. The kind of question where he suspected the answer but was desperate to be proved wrong.

When Henriette spoke, her voice was gentle. "These soldiers... had already died. They're Emblian soldiers that fell from battle. They are now the vanguard of the realm of the dead." She sighed heavily and shook her head. "How cruel..."

Alfonse stared at his mother as if she had turned insane. "Did you say 'the realm of the dead?'"

"Yes," his mother responded grimly. "Some who pass on go to a joyful place. Others... descend into a realm of darkness." Everyone glanced where the dead soldiers had vanished.

"That realm is called Hel," she continued. "Your father will explain more."

"So this is what father wants to talk to me about," Alfonse mused with a dry smile and a small shake of his head.

"Yes," Henriette said, her expression strained. "I fear we have less time than I thought." She mounted back on her horse and said, "Let us hurry to His Majesty."


	3. Merciful Death

My hopes for reaching Henriette's palace was soon deflating by the time the moon was directly overhead. Despite the plains heartily reflecting the silvery light of the full moon, I was drawing my cloak tighter around myself and my attention was snapping to every small sound. My uneasiness must have been more obvious than I thought, as Alfonse fell back a few paces to level with me.

"Are... you all right?"

It was always so strange whenever Alfonse spoke to me. To others, he was the strong and confident young prince training to be king. But whenever he would speak to me, all of that macho confidence would vanish. He would suddenly be uncertain, timid and undeniably awkward.

This unexpected approach reminded me of the unbearably uncomfortable earlier conversation, which felt like it had happened in another world.

Remembering Alfonse's question, I nodded and said, "Yes, I'm fine."

"I'm glad," Alfonse said, nodding also. "I'm guessing your world has had nothing like this ever happen before?"

"Never," I said. "Where I'm from, magic is impossible and regarded as fictional."

"Strange," Alfonse said, looking faintly surprised. "I have heard that a lot of things we have here are nonexistent in your world, but magic?"

"It's not just magic," I said. "In my world, manaketes don't exist. Pegasi don't exist. Dragons don't exist. Neither do Beasts, Demons, and Undead Spirits."

Alfonse shook his head. "I am now beginning to understand your lack of belief in anything when we first met."

"A small part of me still thinks this is still just one fantastic dream," I confessed.

Without warning Alfonse unsheathed Fólkvangr and said, "Get back, Kiran!"

Startled and instantly on guard I halted my horse and made it take a few steps back. For a moment, I couldn't tell what was making Alfonse so aggressive.

Then I saw the face in the darkness.

He looked to have had a sort of muzzle or mask covering his mouth, looking like his lips were pulled back to reveal spiny, sharp teeth. I almost couldn't see his hair, as it was almost the color of the shadows itself. I could see bits of his armor reflecting our torchlight, and my eyes slid to a gleaming object at his hip that eerily resembled a sheathed sword.

"You," he said, his eyes boring into Alfonse's.

Alfonse narrowed his eyes at this enigmatic being and asked in a quiet and calm voice, "Are you a soldier from the realm of the dead?"

"My name is Líf," the man said, his voice deep and soulless, and I felt goosebumps creep across my flesh.

"Líf?" Alfonse repeated in confusion. I could see the struggle for recognition in his eyes, as if he was familiar with the name but couldn't place it. Suddenly they widened and Alfonse stared at Líf in newfound wariness. "You can't be..."

"Alfonse?" Sharena asked, her voice timid and uncertain. "What's wrong?"

Almost as if in response, Líf reached for the large object at his hip and unsheathed a massive sword, the blade sliding out with just the faintest of whispers. "Tremble before _Sökkvabekkr_ , the Sword of Ruin," he rumbled, "as I destroy this world."

Without warning he lunged past Alfonse towards me. My mind going blank on what little sword training I've received, I used my torch to parry, resulting in a shower of sparks, the force of this sending me off my horse.

Like the previous battle, I was once again on the ground as all Hell broke loose (probably literally) above me.

There must have been more soldiers waiting beside Líf, because I could hear everyone engaging in battle in different areas.

 _I'm no good like this_ , I thought as I hastily got to my feet, ignoring the pain throbbing on my hip from being landed on for the second time.

Straining to see my allies through the chaos, I spotted Anna circled by three sword-wielders, struggling to hold off on her own.

"Sharena," I shouted, ducking a weapon movement that easily could have been mage by an ally, "Go to Commander Anna! Anna, go join where Alfonse is!"

Despite how much I disliked ordering those of high authority around, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction when I saw Anna and Sharena obey me, almost with instant positive results.

Finally, after only a few minutes Líf and his soldiers were phasing away back into the darkness.

"The enemy has vanished," Anna said, slightly breathless, her face flushed from exhilaration.

"Líf," Alfonse said softly, closing his eyes as if he had just seen something he had been fearing for a long time.

Clearly noticing this, Sharena gave him a small frown and asked, "Do you know him?"

"We've never met," Alfonse said, remounting on his horse, an action that we quickly followed. "But his name is very familiar to me. I've read it in so many books..."

Once we were all back on the road again, he continued speaking. "It's a name you should recognize too, Sister. Líf is the progenitor of the Askran loyal family—and a true king."

At this, Sharena gave a small " _oh!_ " of recognition, where Alfonse continued once more.

"He formed a pact of the Divine Dragon Askr and gained the power to open gates to other realms. Líf is the first king of Askr."

"The _first king_?" Sharena echoed in disbelief. "He can't still be alive today, can't he?"

"Of course not," Alfonse said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "But if we are fighting the dead... well, we may encounter an ancestor or two."

"And then fight them, it seems," Sharena added sadly.

"King Líf united Askr and became a true hero, thanks to the power of the dragon's blood," Alfonse said. He gave a brief pause to give everyone, including Genny, a very grim look. "You can't measure the power of a man like that. In the battles we gave now... we must be careful."

_You can't measure the power of a man like that._

I replayed those words in my head multiple times, each time making my fear increase. I couldn't help but remember Surtr, and how tiny he made everyone seem. Would Líf be the same way next time we crossed paths? Or would he be worse? I asked myself, remembering those chilling scarlet eyes.

Eventually though my fear was giving way to exhaustion as we all continued to trek through the night in a dark silence. My eyes itched and I constantly refrained from rubbing them, and I noticed Sharena and Genny swallowing back yawns.

"We're almost there," Alfonse said reassuringly. I was surprised to hear him still sounding wide-awake and alert.

 _I guess SOMEONE has to be_ , I thought, swallowing back yet another massive yawn, mildly impressed.

"Hold."

A voice, cold and feminine, jolted me out of longing thoughts of my bed back at my chambers and hot baths.

Everyone paused, and I looked up to see who told us to stop.

My first thoughts went to Laegjarn when I saw the hair and horn-like appendages. But then I noticed the mask and the obsidian-like armor.

 _Another one, then_ , I thought, both extremely apprehensive and slightly annoyed at yet another delay.

"Alfonse!" Sharena yelped, startling from what was probably a very short nap. "The enemy!"

"I am Thrasir, general of the realm of the dead," the woman said in a soft but deeply resonating voice that brought chills creeping up my shoulders. "I am feared as the Omnicidal Witch." There was a pause as she gave everyone a thoughtful look before saying, "Everyone will perish. That is why I have come."

And thus, the battle began. This time I stayed on my horse and gave my typical orders, and within what felt like a minute, the enemies were vanishing once more.

 _That was too easy_ , I thought, disconcerted as I watched the last soldier fade away into the shadows.

"Again, the enemy has vanished," Sharena said, now looking much more awake. She frowned for a few moments then excitedly added, "That name, Thrasir. It rings a bell..."

"The first Emperor of Embla," Alfonse said, and Sharena's eyes widened.

"She's _Princess Veronica's_ ancestor?" she exclaimed.

"She must be," Alfonse said, all of our horses once again continuing our path. "She was a witch so powerful she could lay waste to an entire realm if she so chose." He gave a grim but thoughtful pause and said, "Líf and Thrasir... it would seem that the legendary rulers from our history books are now our enemies..."

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"Mother."

"Eir."

Hel, the Queen of the realm of the dead looked directly down at her daughter, Eir.

Eir was looking back up at her mother, but her pale and beautiful face was uncertain. Despite this, when she spoke, her voice was soft and resolute. "I will do what I can to help you... I'll do anything, no matter how small."

Hel's heavily-shadowed eyes didn't warm to this solemn vow. "You haven't the strength to help me, Eir," she said, her voice slow and even. "Soon, they will be here. And against them, you stand no chance."

Eir's hopeful expression wavered, a bead of sweat forming on her temple. "Mother, I..."

"If you would die, then die," Hel said, cold and indifferent. "Another role is open before you, however—you could join the living."

Eir regarded her mother with wide and uncertain eyes, evidently startled.

"What? Why?"

Hel crossed her legs and leaned back on her throne of bones, watching her daughter's reaction with a thoughtful expression. "Join their army," she said, placing her black-gloved hands on the arms of her throne. "Obey them, body and soul. Give yourself to them completely."

A small smile curving her midnight black lips, she said, "Once you earn their trust, you can slaughter them at my command."

Eir swallowed, her already milky complexion whitening. "Oh, Mother..."

"I do not care if you do not like my order," Hel said, her tone hardening. "You will obey."

Eir closed her eyes and bowed, her silky hair brushing against the floor. "Yes, Mother," she whispered.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

After two surprise attacks, I refused to give in to exhaustion. I sat with my back stiff, my eyes wide and alert. I had my satchel resting on my right hip, containing _Ilmr's Fury_ and _Breidablik_. Despite this, I nearly melted in relief when Henriette said, "We're now on the palace grounds. We shall arrive within the next ten minutes or so."

 _Oh thank the gods_ , I thought, closing my eyes in alleviation.

Suddenly I felt a slicing pain on my temple, and Anna shouted, "The enemy!"

" _Again_?" Sharena complained, attempting to soothe her horse that had reared in panic.

I reached up to touch my temple, and when I looked at my hand there was the thinnest stripe of blood. The attack had hardly broken the skin, and when I reached up to touch it again the bleeding had already stopped.

"Who goes there?" Alfonse demanded.

"It is I," said a soft, breathy voice. A pale face broke through the darkness, revealing a strikingly beautiful young woman long silver hair.

"Who are you?" Anna demanded.

"I am Eir, Daughter and Princess of Hel. I see that you, Prince Alfonse of Askr, are in company of your little sister and your Commander." She gave a brief, expressionless glance at Sharena and Anna, then turned to Henriette. "Your Majesty," she said with a polite bow of her head.

When she turned her attention to Genny, she gave a barely detectable but gentle smile. "I wonder what it is like for a young girl like you to breathe amongst the living."

Speechless, Genny just stared at her with wide eyes.

Then, still smiling, Eir finally turned her attention to me.

"Kiran," she said, "Legendary Summoner. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"P-Pleasure," I said uncertainly.

"What brings you here to us, Princess Eir?" Alfonse asked, his hand tightly clenched on the hilt of his sword.

"I am here on behalf of my mother's orders."

"Which are?"

"To dispose of you all."

There was a whistling as a dark object bulleted through the air, grazing Genny on the shoulder, making her cry out in surprise.

"Genny!" I exclaimed in horror, I quickly made my way to her as the battle began. When I reached her, I asked, "Are you okay?"

To my surprise, Genny nodded, looking more puzzled than hurt. "I'm okay," she said. "It just got my sleeve, that's all. I was just surprised."

I gently brushed the torn fabric aside, and to my amazement I saw that she was right. Similar to my "injury", the skin was hardly grazed, most of the damage done on her sleeve.

I could hear more daggers rocketing through the air, each one inches from lethal accuracy.

"Something's wrong here," I said, wincing as I got sliced on my left cheek.

"I feel like she's not aiming— _EEP!_ " Genny yelped again as another sharp blade whizzed by, just brushing by her hair.

"I don't think realize that, though," I said, watching Anna, Alfonse and Sharena engaged in full-on combat against Eir.

Beginning to realize on how much of a waste of time this was, I pulled up _Ilmr's Fury_ and flipped through some pages until I found the page I was searching for -- zurückhalten. This was a very simple but effective spell, so I had full confidence that I would succeed.

Holding my hand out towards Eir, I muttered a few choice words under my breath, and a series of glittering ropes shot outwards and snaked around the princess's wrists, ankles and legs. I gave my arm a sweeping motion, and the ropes tightened, instantly binding Eir.

She fell on her side, and everyone skidded to a halt around her, their weapons poised for the final blow.

I was expecting her to try to break free of the binds, but she was already limp with acceptance.

"I have lost," she said, her voice still soft and quiet. "You may kill me."

My stomach tensed, and I looked at Alfonse. I have seen him engaged in battle, but I have never seen him intentionally kill someone. The thought of seeing Alfonse take a young woman's life genuinely frightened me, and I was suddenly hoping that Alfonse would show mercy.

Alfonse looked down at Eir. Fólkvangr was positioned above her chest; in one simple move, he would finish the job. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Sharena was looking away, as if she couldn't bring herself to watch. Henriette was watching her son with an expressionless face.

But, to my relief and surprise, something was holding him back. He looked at me and Genny, seeing our minor, nonlethal wounds, then back to the princess. His stony expression faltering to uncertainty, he tightened his grip on his sword, making it tremble slightly. "I..."

"You won't do it," Eir murmured, her eyes showing a flicker or surprise. "Why not?"

"I can't take the life of an opponent who surrenders it freely," Alfonse sighed, sheathing his blade with a self-loathing expression on his face. Forcing a more amiable look, he said, "And there are things I would like to ask you."

"So I am to be your prisoner?" Eir asked. "Very well."

"Release her, Summoner," Alfonse said. "The palace is at a walking distance."

Stung by his sudden formality, I whispered the counter-spell and the binding on Eir's ankles, wrists and legs dissolved.

Standing to her surprisingly full height, she gave me a tender look and whispered, "Thank you."

Without thinking, I replied, "You're welcome."

I sensed Alfonse glancing at me, but I ignored him and began to follow Henriette to the palace.

The palace belonging to the King and Queen of Askr was more grander than I every could have imagined. It was, in my opinion, as a castle should look like, with its dozens of towers, turrets, peaks, windows, balconies, among others. There were innumerable decorations engraved in the stone, and each window was stained glass. Right before we entered the heavily-guarded entrance, Sharena took me to the side.

"What's up?" I asked her, mildly irked that yet another distraction came up from preventing me from meeting the King.

"It's about my Father," Sharena said, speaking quietly. "Now, I'm sure he'll absolutely adore you, but there are a few, um, things to keep in mind while speaking to him."

Suddenly nervous, I asked, "Like what?"

Sharena glanced around and pretended to watch the still-bound Eir being guided away with a small army of guards before saying, "Well, don't maintain eye contact for too long. He thinks staring is impolite."

Easy enough, I thought, although I knew that this couldn't be the only thing I was going to be warned about.

"And, um," the Princess nervously added, "always speak quietly. Don't raise your voice. Like, _ever_."

I nodded, hardly noticing I was anxiously bunching up my collar, something I did when I was particularly nervous.

"What else?" Sharena asked herself thoughtfully. "Oh, there's one thing you must never _EVER_ do! It's the worst thing you could ever do!"

"What?" I asked, my voice an octave higher than normal. "What is it?"

"Kiran, Sharena!"

We both jumped and turned to see Anna standing with Alfonse, who were regarding us curiously. I couldn't help but notice that the Prince's complexion was noticeably paler, and he seemed uncharacteristically antsy.

"My father awaits these doors," Alfonse explained, gesturing to a pair of gargantuan wooden doors that towered above everyone.

"Are you all ready?" Anna asked, and I found myself nodding despite fighting back panic.

Despite my anxiety, as soon as those two doors opened, I entered the throne room with Alfonse and Sharena. To my surprise Anna didn't follow, and when I gave her a questioning look she said, "I'm not allowed in. Good luck!"

The doors closed, and I turned and faced the King of Askr.


	4. King's Orders

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but King Gustav did not disappoint me when it came to appearance. He was definitely the source of Alfonse's looks, with dark navy hair and blue eyes. The difference between the father and son was that Gustav had a grizzly beard, and his face was hard and weathered. There was no warmth of friendship that was in Alfonse's eyes--they were cold and stony. I wondered with a brief shiver on what Alfonse would have to experience to have the same expression.

Remembering Sharena's caution on eye contact she had warned me in the past, I kept my gaze on the toes of my boots and listened intently on what was going to happen next.

"Son."

I felt a small flicker of surprise when I heard Gustav's voice. I was expecting it to be hoarse and gruff, but it sounded nearly like Alfonse's, only much deeper.

I heard the tiniest steadying breath from Alfonse before he looked his father in the eye and said in a calm, steady voice, "It has been some time since we have spoken. I am honored to be invited to this audience."

Amazed at his sudden confidence, I eagerly but silently waited for King Gustav's reply.

"And?"

"Er..."

"I requested that it was going to just be you and your sister. Who is that standing beside you?"

I gave a tiny flinch, unsure what to say. I was about to introduce myself, but I stopped when I remembered that I should only speak unless spoken to.

"That's Kiran, our Summoner. I... I felt like it was time for you two to get acquainted."

I could feel the King's gaze burning towards me, but I was suddenly paralyzed, too afraid to look up.

"Raise your head, Summoner. Let me see your face."

Heart hammering in my throat, I looked up at the King, who was surveying me intently. I could sense Alfonse and Sharena tensing up in anticipation for their father's opinion on, well, _me_.

"So _you're_ Kiran," he said, thoughtfully running his fingers through his goatee. "I have heard many things about you. Marvelous things, in fact."

I could only stare at his face. Suddenly remembering what Sharena told me I blushed and looked back down.

"Hmm," King Gustav grunted. "She knows manners, this one."

I heard Alfonse and Sharena give audible sighs of relief, and I resisted the urge to pull my hood over my face in embarrassment.

"If you excuse us, Kiran. I wish to speak to my children alone."

I nodded silently. Feeling that it was too rude to just leave, I gave a small bow of my head and turned and left. Only when I truly relaxed was when I heard the massive doors behind me latch shut, where I slumped in relief and ran my hands down my face with a soft moan.

"Oh, you're back!"

I looked up and saw Anna jogging towards me, looking both anxious and curious. "How was the King?"

"Uh..." I paused for a moment, unsure on what to say. "He didn't say much," I said uncertainly. "He said I was polite?"

"Oh, that's good!" Anna said, also looking immensely relieved. "That means you followed Sharena's advice."

"Oh, that reminds me," I said, brushing stray hair out of my face. "Right before we entered, Sharena said that there was one thing that I absolutely should _not_ do. What is it?"

"That might depend," Anna replied. "Relay me everything that happened to you in there."

After I explained everything, Anna gave a small laugh and said, "Oh, don't worry about it! Just stick to what Sharena told you and you'll be fine!"

"But what _is_ it?" I demanded with more panic than I intended.

"Okay, okay," Anna said, sobering up. "Whatever you do, under _any_ circumstances, _regardless_ the situation, do _NOT_ talk back to King Gustav. Even if it's in the most civil, polite manner, _never_ express an opposing opinion."

"Why?" I asked, my voice dropping into a frightened whisper. "What would happen?"

Glancing around to make sure we were alone, Anna said softly, "You know how Alfonse is--and don't let him hear me say this--is always terrified of speaking to his father?"

"Yeah?" I said, anxiously bunching my robe up at the neck.

"Well," Anna said, "let's just say that Alfonse put his foot down on this whole 'father-knows-best' game."

While I only spoke with the King for less than a minute, I was amazed at Alfonse's boldness.

"Ooh, I bet he didn't like that," I breathed, my eyes wide, imagining the King's chilly blue eyes blazing with anger, his voice thunderous.

"He... did not," Anna confessed, grimacing. "That whole rift between them... is a result of that."

"That's so sad," I said, involuntarily experiencing sympathy for the young prince.

"It is," Anna agreed. "Do you remember what your father was like, Kiran?"

"You mean what my father _IS_ like?" I asked, unexpectedly annoyed by how this was worded.

"Yes, of course," Anna said, looking slightly abashed.

"Well, I don't remember much," I said, forcing myself to relax. "I remember warm gestures, like him squeezing my shoulder, or patting my back. Oh, and hugs," I added wistfully, struggling to remember further details about my father. "Many hugs." The lie was quick and efficient, and Anna nodded with a vague smile.

My sympathy for Alfonse and Sharena only increased when I realized that they probably never had that kind of relationship with their father.

 _At least they have their mother_ , I thought gloomily.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Alfonse wasn't expecting Kiran to be sent away. When she was dismissed, he felt his heart sink; part of the reason why he had brought her to meet his father was for her comforting presence.

Suddenly the doors opened once more but before Alfonse allowed his hopes to get up, he saw that it was his mother, who entered and took her place beside her husband, placing one of her hands over the king's.

Suddenly Alfonse realized that he was being expected to say something. Ignoring Sharena's significant glances, he tried to think of something to say. Something... Something...

"Oh, Alfonse!" Queen Henriette said, her voice warm with amusement. "Don't be nervous!" Glancing fondly at the king, she continued by gushing, "He's missed you so much! It's been too long!"

"Henriette," King Gustav sighed, glancing at his wife, "Please be discreet."

"My mistake!" Queen Henriette lamented, but she gave Alfonse a shadow of a wink, and he felt a rush of gratitude.

"Alfonse," King Gustav said, his voice and expression becoming much more business-like, "I'm sure your mother has filled you in. Askr has been invaded."

Alfonse nodded and said, "Yes. She said that the soldiers were from Hel, the realm of the dead." Frowning slightly, he confessed, "I know little of it."

King Gustav nodded grimly. "To the west lies a desolate tomb," he said, "it is a gate to the realm of the dead. Twenty years ago, I commanded a barrier to be erected to seal it in."

"And so?" Alfonse prompted, trying not to look as startled as he felt. Never in his whole life had this tomb been mentioned, and he was at a loss on why it had been hidden from him.

If he looked as startled as he felt, Alfonse didn't know as King Gustav continued.

"As you well know, we Askrans cannot close gates--we only open them. All I could do to close off Hel was encircle the tomb with our strongest barrier. For twenty years, it has held them off. None has made it past. But now..." He exchanged a look with the Queen and said, "That defense has fallen. The army of Hel has surged into Askr."

"How terrible," Alfonse said quietly, wondering how calm his father was acting. Their kingdom was being invaded with the undead as he spoke, yet the king's tone showed no concern or fear.

"We must stop them," he told his son sternly, making a fist and thumping it on the arm of his throne. "No harm can befall our people. Do you understand, my son?"

"Yes, Father," Alfonse said, and Sharena nodded fervently. "I will not fail you."

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"We're drawing near to that desolate tomb. We'll be able to sight it shortly."

Anna's voice made me look up from the simple spell I was studying. It was basically a healing spell, but the healing came at the price of the healers themselves. After the three encounters from last night I spent hours studying the ancient tome in hopes for more useful spells that didn't have to do with binding ropes.

"Use caution as we move forward," Anna warned. "The enemy may be lying in wait."

This warning left me rather unsettled. I figured beforehand that the enemy wouldn't think of hoping to find us in an archaic tomb. But now, after hearing Anna's warning, I felt foolish for hoping so blindly.

The trek to the tomb had so far been uneventful, but that didn't let anyone lower their guards. After encountering the undead, we were prepared for anything, even though it was midday.

"Sharena, reporting back!" Sharena's voice piped up. She was scurrying uphill towards us, where we made a temporary camp after Anna sent Sharena to scout the tomb for enemies.

"I've scouted the tomb," she said, slightly breathless from her run. "The enemy was easy to locate."

"Not surprising," Anna said. "How many troops are there?"

"Thousands," Sharena sighed, and my insides shriveled up in dismay. "Too many to count. And they're on the march—south."

"What's south of here?" Anna asked Alfonse, both confused and wary.

"There's a town less than a day's march," he answered grimly.

"This isn't good," Anna said with a furrow frown. "There's no way they would be able to fend for themselves; they're completely defenseless."

"We have to help!" Sharena exclaimed with newfound energy.

"Think, Sharena!" Anna said fiercely. "There's no way we could stop an entire army of soldiers by ourselves. We must dispatch a message to His Majesty at once and hope that his knights can get there in time. That said..." Her voice trailed off into a pained silence that Alfonse forced himself to break.

"That said, they won't make it."

I was instantly reminded of when Surtr was threatening to burn down an entire village in Nìfl if Alfonse made an agonizing decision. I remembered the scathing conflict that erupted between Aflonse and I that resulted in some words that I still wish that I could take back. I looked at Alfonse to see if he was also remembering; if he was, he was giving no sign of showing it.

"Those poor townspeople..." Sharena whispered.

There was another agonizing silence, and I sincerely hoped that no one would bring back the first fight I had with Alfonse. I still churned with guilt now that I knew that the Nìflan villagers would be saved regardless, but I no hopes of that happening again.

"No," Anna said, her brow furrowed intensely. "We can't let them die like that."

Recognizing that face for whenever Anna came up with a brilliant idea, we all turned to her hopefully.

"We have to buy some time," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Both Sharena and I brightened up at the concept of this, but Alfonse looked dubious. "Commander..."

Once everyone's attention went to Alfonse, he gave a surrendering shake of his head and said, "We can bait the enemy."

"That would get their attention," Anna said, hope creeping into her voice. "Then they would stop and focus their attention to us."

Just when things were beginning to seem more upbeat, her face fell. "At that point, though, we'd have to outrun them... or hold out until the king's knights arrive." She chuckled dryly and added, "Talk about dangerous..."

The mere idea of this terrified me, but I knew with a heartbeat that it was the only hope the townspeople's survival.

"It's exceedingly dangerous," Alfonse agreed, "but we don't have any other options."

"You're right," Anna said, picking up Nóatún and hefting it over her shoulder, making the sunlight glint off of the shining axe's blade. "Come on, everybody! We're going to have to rely on the element of surprise. We'll sneak up on them."

"Stay hidden, and move in groups," Alfonse said with a tense nod. "Spread out, and encircle the enemy from behind. Each group must do what they can to avoid the enemy while making it look like they're part of a bigger force. Once we've got their attention, they'll halt. This should buy us some time, but not a lot. Once they've seen through it—"

"See _through_ it?" Sharena exclaimed shrilly, her green eyes huge with panic. "They're here! Everyone—disengage! _Retreat_!"

"It's too late to run, Sharena," Anna said. "We'll have to make a stand here—until the king's knights arrive!"

Sharena gave a miserable moan and asked the question we all probably asked ourselves at one point through this scenario: 

"Ohh... can we make it?"

"It's too late to run, Sharena," Anna said, her grip on her axe tightening. "We'll have to make a stand here—until the knights arrive."


	5. Never Be King

Sharena had been known to occasionally overreact, and when I heard the approaching army I prayed that there weren't going to be as many soldiers as she said there were. Sadly, she was telling the truth, and my heart sank at the sight of the approaching army.

As I was watching everyone prepare for battle, my thoughts turned to the Ilmr's Fury. The reason why I was lacking skill in most spells was for a very significant reason—one I hadn't told anyone about.

Secretly in my free time, I had been studying about a very specific spell.

 _Njörðr_.

At first I was just interested in what it did in general. In the _Ilmr's Fury_ , the description of _Njörðr_ was:

_Njörðr is an exceedingly complicated spell that is nearly impossible to master. It is known for requiring the skills of both Dark and Light Magic, a very rare qualification in even the most powerful of spells, thus giving the spell the epithet of the Spell of Shadow and Light._

I was intrigued. I haven't studied Dark Magic (although the concept enticed me), and anything I learned about it only made my curiosity grow, and I couldn't help but read further:

_Njörðr doesn't just require the power of Darkness and the strength of Light, but it requires the very heart and soul of the user itself. This is where the spell gains its reputation as one of the most dangerous spells known, as if its usage has gone awry, the results could be catastrophic—and potentially lethal._

I stopped reading at that point, but as I tried to focus on other less dangerous spells, but my thoughts kept turning to _Njörðr_ and its power and abilities. I tried to ignore them, but at one point I finally thought, _It would be okay to study, as long as I never USED it..._

And I never did consider using it. I had intently studied the theory and the physics of the spell, so I occasionally toyed with the idea on what if I _had_ to use it? Would I be able to succeed?

At this scary thought I found my hand reaching for inside my cloak and pulling out the _Ilmr's Fury_ , then, before I could help it I turned to the page of _Njörðr_ and began skimming the entries on it. I knew I should have been preparing for battle, but a single sentence I hadn't caught before chilled me to the point that I had goosebumps.

 _Similar to other powerful spells, Njörðr can be involuntarily casted through a drastic change of emotions_. _The stronger the emotion, the more dangerous the results become._

"They're here!" Anna exclaimed, and I almost dropped _Ilmr's Fury_ in my hurry to hide it inside my cloak.

Right before I joined the fight I thought about King Gustav and how severe he could be. What would he think of this plan? It was dangerous, almost stupidly risky... Surely—

_"Get down!"_

A nearby Askran soldier shoved my head down as an arrow whistled past where my forehead would have been.

The force of this made _Ilmr's Fury_ fall to the ground, and when I hastily picked it up a sudden gust of wind caused a series of pages to rapidly turn, landing on— _Gronnblade_.

"Let's give this another try," I muttered under my breath. Suddenly facing a small horde of undead soldiers, my thoughts turned to everything Nino had taught me, and not even a second had passed as several dozen glowing green blades plunged onto the horde. When they faded away, there were no remains to my foes.

My satisfaction soon turned to terror when I saw a series of bows turn to me, and I remembered one of the first spells that I was actually really good at. My book, sensing my thoughts, turned to the page _Sagittae_ (taught to me by Kliff), and within a second a small storm of raging arrows rocketed into the archers.

Just when my confidence was beginning to rise, a burst from a nearby _Elfire_ explosion sent me and some of my allies sprawled on the ground, resulting in my book being thrown out of my grip.

I quickly rolled over to avoid being trampled by an undead soldier's horse. Spotting the _Ilmr's Fury_ several feet out of reach I tried to get on all fours to grab it, but it got kicked further out of my reached in the rising conflict.

Trapped in a sea of legs and bodies, I vainly attempted to catch sight of where my book went. Suddenly a huge fist caught the scruff of my coat and I was being lifted from the ground. I briefly glimpsed a blade in the enigma's other hand, and in a panic move I wriggled out of my coat and fell back to the ground and shuddered when I heard it getting ripped to shreds, and I quickly fled the scene.

I could hear the sounds of Anna, Sharena and Alfonse in battle but couldn't catch sight of them. I once again began the silent and panicked search for my only useful weapon, which was lost in the dust and scuffling.

Completely powerless I began to truly fear for my life when I heard a deep and gravelly voice snarl, "I've lost the Summoner! _Find her!"_

Frightened, I tried to find safety in the din, and I finally managed to get to my feet so I could duck and weave through the chaos. At one point an object from the ground struck me painfully in the cheek, and when I looked down to see what it was I saw _Breidablik_. Despite it being covered by a thin layer of dust, I could see a fierce white light being emitted from it.

That's when I remembered the trail of white-hot burning grass I accidentally left, and I instantly felt for the trigger and pressed it. The blast of light was so blinding that I temporarily couldn't see, and when the dust settled, I saw a large gap in the battlefield. In its place was a black line of smoldering grass, and for the tiniest moment there was a hush in the air as everyone processed what just happened in the shortest stunned silence.

Then all hell broke loose when the enemy spotted me.

Before I could even blink I was trapped in a crowd of armed soldiers that were all trying to get to me first. I instantly tried to blend in and use this as an advantage, but _Breidablik_ was soon torn out of my grasp and I was being pressed into the ground by a dozen different undead soldiers, kicking, punching and bruising me in the process. Somewhere in the distance I could hear my allies desperately calling my name.

Then I heard a snarl.

_"Bring her here!"_

Suddenly an endless source of hands and arms grabbed and threw me until I was violently being passed through the crowd of enemies until I was tossed at the ground at the feet of the biggest undead soldier in the entire battlefield. Eyes glinting behind an obsidian-black helmet, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and lifted me above the crowd, which was beginning to halt to see what was happening.

The entire top half of my head was in blinding pain, and I attempted to reach up and forcefully remove the grip, but he snorted and grabbed both of my wrists with his other hand and forced them behind my back.

"Keep struggling if you want your neck to be snapped," the voice whispered in my ear, and I soon stopped, my heart pounding so hard it physically hurt.

"Listen up, Askr pests!" My captor roared to the steadily silencing crowd. Half-blinded in pain I spotted Anna, Sharena and Alfonse amongst the crowd, and my heart sunk when I saw that they too were weaponless and were restrained.

"I've got the Summoner, right in my grasp," my captor snarled, and he released my wrists to grab my face and forced it to turn to my three closest and trusted allies.

Sharena's eyes were huge and filling with tears, and it was taking four men to contain Anna, who was still putting up a fight, and Alfonse was almost as pale as the soldiers we were fighting.

"Prince Alfonse," my captor hissed, "if you and your pathetic army won't withdraw, I will do something you will all regret until you're embraced by my benefactor, Hel!"

"We refuse!" Anna grunted, her struggling growing weaker as her energy was diminishing.

"Oh?" My captor asked thoughtfully, releasing my face. "Say that again, Commander Anna."

At this point Anna finally stopped struggling and was slumped forward, although her chin was defiantly raised as she glared at the soldier who was holding. "I _said_ ," she said, her voice loud and clear, "we _refuse_."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," the huge soldier chuckled, and without warning he grabbed my arm and gently tapped his massive fingers on it. He gave one of the soldiers restraining Anna a little nod and he grabbed his weapon, a huge axe, and bashed the butt of its grip right on Anna's head, and she grunted in pain, and Sharena, me and Alfonse all cried out, " _Commander_!"

To my amazement, she only raised her head again defiantly, although I could see a small river of blood trickling down her forehead, right between her eyes. "You heard me," she said, her tone confident. "We'd all rather get _slaughtered_ by you all than to flee!"

"Interesting," the voice above my head said. "Then I guess I'll start on your precious little Summoner then."

Without warning he squeezed my arm and gave it a rough angled jerk, and I heard my arm break and I couldn't swallow back a cry of pain.

" _Enough_!" Alfonse shouted. "Just let her go!"

"Did you not hear what I asked before, child?" The voice above me asked in a deadly calm voice. "I will do as you ask if you draw back."

In Alfonse's tiniest moment of hesitation, his face white and uncertain, the voice above me scoffed, "You will never be King, Prince Alfonse." Then, to the soldiers below, "Do what you want with her."

" _WAIT_!" Alfonse demanded, but the agonizing grip on my hair relinquished, and I fell only to be caught by one of his men, and was instantly grabbed and in a choking hold. The pain in my arm and head already left me feeling faint and distant, but I could feel my consciousness fading from the lack of oxygen, and I was feeling myself grow limp in the crushing grip.

"The King's Knights are here!"

The relieved shout of Anna's voice was distant, as if I heard her from a long tunnel, and I managed a squeak of air as the soldier's hold on me was adjusted, and some of the darkness that tinged my dimming vision diminished somewhat.

Suddenly, a harsh and powerful voice, bold and terrible to behold, cut through the ensuing chaos.

"This ends NOW, Jörmungandr!"

"Oh?" Jörmungandr sneered. His hand plunged into the crowd and I felt a giant fist close around my throat, and my feet left the ground as I was lifted above the hoard of soldiers. Unable to breathe, I feebly clawed at the crushing hold with my one good arm, silently gasping for breath. "Not until Kiran is dead and your army surrenders!"

Suddenly there was a powerful blow to my abdomen, and I finally fully lost consciousness.


	6. Boundaries

I wasn't sure how long I was out, but suddenly the crippling pressure on my windpipe vanished and I let out a gasp of sweet, delicious air before caught by multiple pairs of arms, although I had no idea if they were friend or foe.

My question was soon answered when the blinding pain in my scalp returned as I was lifted by the air and I felt hot, sour breath bellow in my ear, "Watch me as I end the life and hope of Askr!" I glimpsed a flashing blade whisk through the air and white hot agony exploded in my abdomen, and gave another pained cry. Distantly, I heard Alfonse gasp, "No, _STOP_!"

I could feel my blood, hot and sticky, quickly pulse out of my wound and feebly shivered when I felt Jörmungandr wipe the dagger clean against my chest. "Next time it's her heart!"

"I think not," King Gustav firmly said, and with impossible speed and agility he rushed forward, although I couldn't see what happened next, I heard Jörmungandr roar in pain and rage, and he threw me forward. I would have crashed to the ground if I hadn't been caught by a quick and firm catch. Faintly, over Jörmungandr's gurgling screams, I heard King Gustav sharply say, "Are you well, Summoner?"

I weakly opened my mouth to answer yes but was interrupted by a violent round of coughing, and I felt my own blood, sickly warm and coppery, trickle down the corner of my lips. King Gustav cursed softly and I felt myself being passed to unfamiliar arms as he grunted, "Take the Summoner to safety while I finish this."

I could feel my awareness ebbing away as I heard the fight between King Gustav and Jörmungandr continue. My heavy eyelids were beginning to close shut when I heard the voice of the random soldier order, "Take the Summoner to safety--King's demand!"

The entire front of my shirt was soaked, and the pulsing bloodflow was as relentless as ever. I thought I heard a voice breathe, "Stay with me, Kiran!" but I felt my head droop as I passed out.

I wasn't sure on what happened next, but suddenly I found myself lying on my back on something soft, like a sleeping bag. My faintly throbbing abdomen felt strangely constricted, my throat sore, my arm limp and numb. I could hear faint voices around me, none familiar, and I felt a surge of panic.

Suddenly remembering everything that happened, my eyes flew open and I tried to regain my surroundings. I was still in the battlefield, but there was no longer any fighting.

I raised my head to see that countless other fighters were lying on what I guessed to be makeshift infirmaries, and I struggled to sit up only to be pushed down by an Askran healer I didn't recognize.

"At ease," she said to me, beginning to wrap a long white strap of cloth around my forehead. "The battle is over."

"But when did it end?" I asked, beginning to feel slightly panicky. "How long was I out?"

"The battle ended around ten minutes ago," the healer said, giving my head a little pat as if she was consoling a small child. "Unfortunately I had to put you out for a bit so I could reset the broken bones, as that bit is a _tad_ painful, if I so say so myself. That, and you lost quite a lot of blood there, young lady."

I sat up again and tried to shield my eyes from the sun overhead, but I was faintly surprised to find my right arm in a sling. "What—"

"Oh, yes," the healer said with a disapproving cluck of her tongue as she forced me back down with surprising strength. "It was quite unfortunate of you to be Jörmungandr's first victim of the battlefield. Thankfully, you were his last, as the King was quick to defeat him once more."

_Once more... So that means that the more powerful undead fighters were being raised._

"May I get up?" I asked, already doing so without waiting for an answer. The world around me tilted and spun, and I felt my head temporarily feel light as my bandaged abdomen throbbed in protest.

"Of course not!" The elderly woman exclaimed sternly, instantly steadying my tottering and forced me back down where she began to fuss with the bandage around my forehead.

After a while the healer hesitated, frowning uncertainly at her handiwork, looked at my anxious, pleading expression and relented. "All right," she conceded. "Be careful using your arm in several days, the bones still need to set properly. The stab wound is healing nicely, although don't push yourself, or you'll risk reopening it. Oh, and here." She threw a blanket over my shoulders and brushed some dust off like a nitpicky mother.

"Yes, thank you," I said distractedly before walking away, still slightly unsteady on my feet. There were large crowds of soldiers and healers, and I couldn't find anyone I knew in sight. There was also the fact that both of my weapons were missing, and I was extremely uncomfortable on being unarmed after something so dangerous.

I was beginning to feel exposed without my coat, so I shrugged the blanket tighter on my shoulders and began to search for my friends in the maze of wounded.

The sight of what had to be over a hundred wounded men and women, some with gruesome injuries, and hearing them moan and speak to each other in heavy voices was exceedingly disturbing, and resisted the urge to run from all of it.

I was just beginning to ask the healers if they had seen the _Ilmr's Fury_ or _Breidablik_ when I heard Alfonse's panicked voice somewhere in the gruesome crowd.

"Kiran? Kiran! _Kiran_!"

I finally found him, by the healer who worked with me. He had Sharena with him, but, to my alarm, without Anna. Sharena, who had a bandage on her head similar to mine tapped Alfonse on the shoulder and pointed to me. When he caught my eye he visibly melted in relief and quickly came towards me.

To my alarm he tightly gripped my shoulders and gave them a small shake. "Are you okay, Kiran?"

I was so startled to see the usually calm Alfonse in a panic like this that I didn't answer at first. I finally opened my mouth to speak but Alfonse quickly spotted the bandage on my head that was mostly covered by my hair, and he gently brushed it aside and sighed.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay," I said, but the memory of seeing Jörmungandr's eyes as he held me captive left me pale in the face and a slight tremor in my voice.

"Are you sure?" Alfonse persisted, carefully scanning my face in search of other injuries, brushing his fingers through my tangled hair and turning my head at various angles as he anxiously investigated.

"I'm... _fine_ ," I said, my throat getting tight as I mentally went through everything that had happened in the battle. I lightly jerked my head away, and thankfully Alfonse stopped his search for more nonexistent wounds.

"Are you sure?" Alfonse asked again, his blue eyes wide with concern and fear, carefully tucking away some stray bandaging.

"Yes," I said, my voice steadier. "I'm just a little shaken up."

"Are you _sure_?" Alfonse asked for a third time, and I cracked a smile and said, "Again, I'm _okay_."

Although he still looked unconvinced, he returned the smile, albeit a little smaller, and sighed and called a healer. "Excuse me, but can we find a place for the Summoner to rest?"

"Alfonse," I said, embarrassed. "That's really not—"

"Of course, Prince Alfonse," the elderly male healer said, smiling kindly and gesturing ahead, and I recognized Wrys. "Right this way, Kiran."

To my annoyance both Alfonse and Wrys ignored my protests and I was soon guided to a shady area with a bench.

"Alfonse," I said, beginning to grow genuinely irritated that I hadn't even gotten the chance to speak with Sharena. "This is _silly_ —"

"I'm sorry," Alfonse said, almost a little desperately. "But this might be our only chance to speak to each other alone for a while, and I wanted to check if you were all right."

Giving up on proving that I was okay, I took a seat with a slightly resigned huff, and Alfonse sat on my left. Usually when people who intently stared at me the way Alfonse was doing right now I would be extremely uncomfortable, but for some reason I found this oddly comforting.

"Kiran," Alfonse said, and I turned to look at him, making us face-to-face.

"Yes?"

Alfonse took a breath with his eyes closed, and when he opened them he smiled in a tired but relieved sort of way.

"I'm really glad you're okay."

"Me, too," I said feebly.

Alfonse sighed again and looked away, shaking his head in an agitated manner. "When I saw Jörmungandr's holding you up like that... and what he did to you..." His voice hardened, and I noticed he clenched his fists tightly.

We made eye contact again, but this time neither of us looked away. Alfonse put a hand on my cheek and lightly brushed some dirt away on my face. Exhaling softly he said, "I didn't know what to do. I was so scared of losing you."

This caught me off guard, and I found myself at a loss of words. A breeze whispered by and Alfonse and I could only just look at each other in a delicate silence. Slowly, our faces drew nearer, and I found my eyes closing. Just as I felt his warm breath caress my face, a voice spoke.

"Alfonse."

Suddenly we were apart and I looked up to find King Gustav looking down at his son, his scarred and lined face more severe than I had ever seen it. His dark eyes were blazing a fire that suddenly made me remember the power and ferocity behind the King of Askr, and I knew I was dead right when I assumed Alfonse's risky decision would anger him.

Alfonse looked up at his father and got to his feet, his face slightly pale but prepared. Looking the King dead in the eye he said in a steady and even voice, "Father."

After a small but very tense silence Sharena walked up from my right and gently took my hand. When I gave her a questioning look she silently gestured that we should leave, but I firmly shook my head, and Sharena gave a silent sigh of resignation and released my hand.

"I heard about what happened here," King Gustav said, his voice dangerously soft. "Why would you take such a risk?" Despite speaking softly, the rage was evident in his voice.

"The people..." Alfonse began uncertainly, but Sharena quickly cut in and said, "Father, we—we had to protect—"

"I was speaking to your brother, Sharena," King Gustav said, his steely eyes not looking away from Alfonse's.

"Yes, sir," Sharena said in a small voice, and I felt an unexpected surge of anger, although I held my tongue and kept my expression neutral.

"The enemy was on the march," Alfonse explained, his brow furrowing, "and the town had no defenses. We had to do what we could to stop them, so I came up with a plan."

"You thought you could face an entire army?" King Gustav inquired. Giving a barely detectable snort he sighed, " _Hardly_."

I was instantly compelled to defend the young prince, but from what I remembered, the battle was an absolute disaster, as we had never faced such an army with so few of our soldiers. Much to my disappointment, the King was dead correct.

"If you had miscalculated even slightly, you would be dead now. _Dead_ , Alfonse."

The King let the sentence hang in the air, and I closed my eyes in a mental grimace on the accuracy of the King's statement. I had gone through some heavy losses in my time here, but I genuinely wouldn't know what to do if Alfonse was killed in battle.

"Yes, Father," Alfonse said, his tone unrecognizable. "That is so."

"Your potential death wouldn't be the only severe blow to this kingdom," King Gustav continued, and although his tone was even and civil, I could sense the anger behind each and every word. "Had I not arrived even sooner, then _Kiran_ would have been killed! If I had not intervened, Jörmungandr would have her head as a trophy!"

There was a subtle reddening in Alfonse's face when my name was brought up, and I inwardly sighed and thought, _Looks like I'm included now_...

"There have been lives lost in this unnecessary battle, and the Summoner was dangerously close to join them. Did you not see the state Jörmungandr left her in? The Order of Heroes will have faced a devastating loss, all due to your foolish and impulsive action."

There was an overwhelmingly heavy silence as Alfonse processed this, and, suddenly unable to take it anymore, I forced myself to raise my head and say, "My capture by Jörmungandr was my fault and my fault only. If I had spent more time studying—"

"That's enough, Summoner."

Although King Gustav spoke towards me with unexpected civility, I still winced when he interrupted me, and I resisted the urge to reach up and pull my hood over my whole head when the King turned to face me, and I was startled to see that his severe had softened, giving him an almost pitying expression.

"It is not your responsibility to defend my son's actions, Kiran," he said, his tone not unkind. "I appreciate your concern and devotion to our cause, but Alfonse's decision was inexcusable."

Turning to face Alfonse once more he said, "I commend the Order of Heroes for its victory over Mùspell. There is something you need to understand, however. You are not a Hero, Alfonse."

The hot anger I experienced earlier returned, and I resisted the urge to exclaim how untrue that was. But even my revered role as Summoner didn't give me the authority and right to argue, so I clenched my jaw and kept silent, although I was unable to hide the anger in my face.

"You need not be amidst them, waving your sword about. Your place is elsewhere."

For the briefest moment Alfonse looked like he was about to disagree, but he held back and said, "Father... Father I just—"

Sharena gave my wrist a small but insistent tug, and this time I gladly followed her away. When we were at hearing distance I gave a sigh mixed with a growl of anger. I was itching to express my frustrations on what I witnessed, but I knew that that would be more than out of line.

Thankfully Sharena sensed my rage about the whole thing and said, "I'm sorry you had to witness that...I know Father can be...um, severe, but I promise he has his best interests at heart."

"All parents do, I guess," I said with a tense shrug.

Suddenly Sharena burst into tears and threw her arms around my shoulders to crush me in a tight embrace, adding an uncomfortable amount of pressure on my bandaged wound.

"Sh-Sharena?" I gasped in a mixture of pain and shock. "What's wrong?"

"I thought..." Sharena choked, her voice trembling in my ear, "I thought you were going to die! I was so scared!"

At a loss for what to say, I hesitantly hugged her back and feebly said, "But I didn't. Your father made sure of that."

"I know, I know," she sniffed, pulling away. "But I can't help but remember seeing Alfonse's face when Jörmungandr held you up like some sort of... _trophy_!" She angrily burst out at the end. Taking a calming breath she added, "I don't think I've ever seen him that scared."

"I don't think I have, either," I said, remembering the fear and desperation in his expression and voice. Suddenly I realized how exhausted I was and wanted nothing more than to collapse in bed and sleep for a week. I must have looked as tired as I felt because Sharena mopped her face with her hands and said, "Let's head back to the castle. We all need to rest. You, especially."

For the first time, I didn't protest on having my well-being be first priority.


	7. Solitude

I had never been more exhausted in my life. The ride back to the castle seemed to last for hours, and eventually we arrived and the wounded were sent inside into recovery. I was being shepherded with them, but I then remembered something.

Wiggling out of the weary-faced crowd, I scanned my surroundings in search for King Gustav. Anxiety was welling in my throat, but I ignored the mysterious fear troubling my subconscious and soon found him, speaking to Alfonse. Not wanting to interrupt, I quickly turned around and was about to head away when the sound of Gustav's voice caught me by surprise.

"Ah, there's the young lady now." Even more to my surprise, he beckoned me. As I approached him I was suddenly terrified that I would see the terrible rage in his eyes again, but to my relief they were their normal, thoughtful selves.

Suddenly shy, I approached him and Alfonse and quickly remembered why I had been searching for the king in the first place. To embarrassed to look the man in the eye, I dropped my gaze to my boots and gave an awkward bow.

"I--I never got the opportunity to thank you," I mumbled, inwardly cringing, "for saving my life." Mustering the courage to turn my head upwards, Gustav's face, though not smiling, was kind.

"And I never got to thank you for all that you have done for Askr," he murmured, and to my embarrassment he returned the bow.

Heat flaming my face, I jerked my hood over my face and stammered, "Y-You're welcome, your m-majesty!"

My embarrassment only increased when Alfonse chuckled softly. "I told you she was like this."

Like this? Like... Like _what_?

"Your description is accurate," the king agreed. "Now if you excuse me, Summoner, I must speak with my son in private."

"Oh, right!" I said, my voice a higher octave than normal. I involuntarily gave an uncertain smile and quickly left the scene. "Um, bye!"

Desperately wishing I could melt in the ground and disappear forever, I quickly made my way to the infirmary.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Alfonse could feel his father's eyes watching them as everyone made it back to the castle. He knew what the king was going to say, and just the mere thought of that flooded him with boiling hot shame. 

The sight of Kiran being helplessly held up by Jörmungandr was haunting him, and his shame deepened when he remembered his father's rebuke.

_If I had not intervened, Jörmungandr would have her head as a trophy!_

The thought of himself being killed in battle, while it did bring some fear, did not really trouble Alfonse. He knew and understood his duty to his people. But if _Kiran_ were to be killed...the mere concept made his blood run cold.

 _I would never forgive myself,_ Alfonse realized, and he felt the suffocating shame return, this time mixed with newfound fear for Kiran's life.

The memory of seeing the spreading scarlet stain on Kiran's abdomen and her broken arm hanging uselessly to the side, her eyes wide and glazed with pain, filled his heart with an unexpected rush of fear, which he quickly dismissed with a quick shake of his head.

 _At ease_ , he mentally scolded himself. _Kiran's no longer in danger._

In his attempt to calm his mind, Alfonse's mind was filled with images of Kiran. She was holding the sticky bun he had once bought her, gaping at it in her hands as if it was a large ruby. That's when he realized how much of a sweet tooth Kiran had. Seeing her face break into excitement at the sight of a bakery or a celebratory cake always made Alfonse smile. It amused him to see her get so excited and happy over something so simple.

Then his thoughts shifted to earlier that day, when he found a private spot for him and Kiran to speak after the battle with Jörmungandr. Even with her hair mussed and bruises and bandages covering her face, she was as beautiful as he ever found her. Alfonse was aware how close their faces were approaching, and how warm her breath felt on his cheeks. He had been reaching for her hand, smelling the florid aroma of her hair, when his father suddenly intervened.

The smallest part of Alfonse's mind was resentful that his father appeared in such a delicate moment, but he pushed that away. He wondered what would happen if there had been no interruption...

The familiar swooping sensation filled his stomach, and Alfonse suddenly remembered after the victory over Múspell. That night, during celebrations, fireworks had been set off. He remembered the multicolored blasts reflected the joy on Kiran's face, her eyes sparkling with happiness as they watched the ongoing, colorful explosions. Kiran turned her head, her hair gracefully swinging as she locked eyes with Alfonse, her face beaming mid-laughter. At that moment, a powerful yet unfamiliar emotion had taken hold of his heart in an inescapable rush, driving his breath away.

 _Is this what falling in love feels like?_ Alfonse had wondered, both cautious yet thoughtful. If so, it was more frustrating than he originally imagined. Frustrating, and painful. But it was a wonderful, almost frightening kind of pain that left him exhilarated, yet hopelessly confused.

There were times when Alfonse hopefully thought Kiran might unknowingly share the same feelings, but he was careful not to raise his hopes. He wasn't sure how he would handle that kind of disappointment.

But whether the feelings were one-sided or not, it was enough for Alfonse to see Kiran happy. All that mattered was that Kiran wasn't in pain or suffering. As long as she was happy, he was happy.

It was at that moment when Alfonse noticed he had been watching Kiran as they were making their way back to the castle. She looked exhausted; there was a definite droop to her head and shoulders, and there was an almost haunted look in her face, reminding him once again that his brashness had nearly resulted in her death.

Kiran had engaged in conversation with Sharena, and after a while Kiran shook her head and tenderly rubbed her throat again. She turned her head and caught his eye, and mustered a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Alfonse tried to smile back, but before he could Kiran quickly looked away and disappeared further in the crowd of soldiers, healers and horses. Alfonse sighed, then noticed his father had seen him staring at Kiran, and an odd sense of embarrassment filled his thoughts.

Thankfully the trip back to the castle was quick and done with no interruptions, and after everyone entered the castle and began to part their ways, Alfonse saw his father beckon him. Steeling himself, Alfonse made way to his father, careful to keep his expression calm and level.

Before Alfonse could apologize once more for his rash decision, what he assumed his father wanted to speak about, his father spoke first.

"There is no need for more apologies. I trust that seeing Kiran in danger like that has taught you to think more careful in battle."

Alfonse swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, Father."

For a few heartbeats King Gustav regarded his son, an odd expression glittering in his blue eyes. Was it sadness? Pity? Regret?

"I've seen how you look at her," he said softly, "and I know how you feel about her."

Alfonse said nothing, although he resisted the urge to drop his gaze.

King Gustav continued. "Kiran is a remarkable young woman with endless potential, but you know she can have no place in your future, not especially in such grim times. You are to play a critical role in Askr's future, and we cannot allow any distractions, lest that you make more brash decisions. Do you understand?"

Alfonse was silent as he those words wash over him. Yes, he understood. Yes, he even agreed. Yes, he believed that it was for the best. But that did not mean that it hurt any less to hear these words.

The pain must have been evident on his face because Gustav's expression softened and he gave his son's shoulder a squeeze. "If the enemy were to know of such a relationship, it would be used against you, only putting Kiran in more danger."

It was at these words when Alfonse forced himself to nod and say, "Yes, Father. I understand."

Gustav sighed and looked to where Kiran had vanished, thoughtfully stroking his goatee. "Despite not knowing her well, I can tell Kiran is more than meets the eye."

Alfonse couldn't hold back a smile. "She's quite the character," he said. "She has many different sides. She's shy, innocent and hopelessly humble. Yet at the same time, she can be stubborn, short-tempered and cold."

"I've seen the anger in her eyes earlier," King Gustav mused. "Strong emotions can make soldiers like her dangerous."

Alfonse felt his smile broaden and said, "Kiran is definitely capable of being dangerous."

Alfonse felt his head turn away and spotted Kiran marching towards him and his father with a determined yet anxious expression on her face, and he recognized that as the face when she was forcing herself to do something she didn't want to. When she noticed he had been speaking with father, she quickly turned to leave. Before Alfonse could call her back, Gustav spoke.

"Ah, there's the young lady now."

Eyes focused determinedly on her boots, Kiran dropped rushed over and dropped into a hasty bow and muttered hastily, "I--I never got the opportunity to thank you, for saving my life..."

To Alfonse's slight surprise, his father reciprocated the bow and murmured, "And I never got to thank you for all that you have done for Askr."

As Alfonse had predicted, Kiran's face reddened as if her head was filling with boiling water, and she quickly tugged her hood over her face to hide herself, an action Alfonse thought each time was hopelessly adorable.

"Y-You're welcome, your m-majesty!" she squeaked, and Alfonse fought the urge to laugh. He always found this shy, timid part of her exceedingly cute, although he never would have dared to tell her. Something told him it would just make her mad.

Chuckling, Alfonse glanced at his father and said, "I told you she was like this."

"Your description was accurate," Gustav agreed, and Alfonse felt a rare surge of fondness for his father. This quickly vanished when the king cleared his throat and said, "Now if you excuse me, Summoner, I must speak with my son in private."

"Oh, right!" Kiran gasped, and Alfonse fought the sudden desire to grab one of her hands to prevent her from leaving. "Um, bye!"

There was a few moments of silence as Alfonse and Gustav watched the young woman quickly scurry away, still evidently flushed with awkwardness.

"A charming young woman," Gustav said quietly. "I can see the innocence well."

"Yes," Alfonse said, and his heart sank as he remembered what they had been speaking about before Kiran had been called over. Seeing her all flustered and shy had only reminded him how much he cared about her and the heaviness in his heart at the knowledge that he could never be with her.

Gustav squeezed Alfonse's shoulder again, although the gesture was far from comforting.

"I'm sorry, my son, but if you were to fall in love with Kiran--"

The king fell silent in mute surprise as Alfonse pulled away from his hand and looked up at his father with unexpected emotion blazing in his usually serene eyes. "What if I'm already in love with her?"

Although his voice was soft and civil, Gustav could detect the challenge in his son's voice, and he was unable to hold back an expression of pity. He could feel his heart sink slightly as he quickly hardened his face and said, "Then you will have to push your affection and see Kiran as she is--an enigma from another world who has no real place among us."

Gustav was not surprised to see anger spark in his son's eyes and fought back a sigh as he, keen to avoid another row, and quietly added, "Get some rest. We will discuss things tomorrow. Good night."

Alfonse gave a stiff nod and turned to leave, ignoring his father's farewell.

Gustav sighed, this time aloud, and wearily thought, _He is growing more and more like my past self... Perhaps he will understand when he's a bit older._


	8. Gossip and Rumors

Despite my crippling exhaustion, I slept poorly that night. Different images dimly flickered through my dreams, each one more frightening than the last. While most of these had been forgotten after waking, there were some that rang eerily clear in my head.

Alfonse and Sharena were desperately reaching for each other, despair etched on both of their faces. Suddenly there was a slash of a gleaming scythe blade and a spatter of blood. Alfonse was then crouched over a figure just out of my view. He was clutching at the sides of his head as tears streamed out of his wide, panicking eyes. But things changed again, and this time Alfonse was glaring determinedly at a shadowy figure, who was offering him an extending, emaciated arm. Seemingly in resignation, Alfonse dropped his head and accepted the arm, vanishing in a burst of black smoke.

Ah hard as I tried to convince myself that they were just dreams, but the vividity of each image was crystal clear, as if I was experiencing each sight firsthand.

 _It almost feels_ , I thought with a shudder, _that I was_ experiencing _all of those scenes firsthand._

Ignoring the misery that I remembered to see on Alfonse's and Sharena's expressions, I got ready for the day quickly, knowing that King Gustav had requested an urgent meeting that afternoon. Feeling dirty and sweaty from the battle yesterday, I made my ways to the bathhouse dedicated for all of the female Heroes.

I was vaguely surprised that it was empty, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Sliding out of my silken robes, I carefully submerged into the blissfully hot, steaming water. I could feel the tense knots on my back loosen, and I gave a silent sigh of relief.

I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. I couldn't stop thinking of that moment I shared with Alfonse yesterday, soon after the battle against Jörmungandr. I closed my eyes as I imagined what would happen if the king hadn't interrupted. A fantasy began to unfold in my imagination, and I felt myself smiling dreamily as I watched my face grow even close with Alfonse's, our eyes closing in preparation. Then, our hearts pounding, we would--

"Well well well... _You_ look like you're enjoying yourself!"

The sound of Camilla's voice had made my eyes fly open, and I gasped guiltily. I had slipped off my seat and fallen into the deeper portion of the water, and for a moment I was submerged in a whirlwind of churning water and bubbles. When I clumsily emerged my hair was hanging over my face in a dripping curtain, and a slender hand reached through it to make my eyes visible.

Camilla, already undressed, was giving me a teasing smile. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, seeming to enjoy how much she startled me and how flustered I was.

"Right," I gasped, rubbing water out of my eyes. "I mean, yes!"

Laughing softly, Camilla descended into the water by my side, the water sliding over the graceful curves of her body. She took a seat in the deeper end so the water came to her sternum, her lilac-colored hair pooling around her shoulders like a soft, purple cloud.

"You have a water lily on your head," she pointed out, and I slapped a hand to the crown of my head, feeling the delicate petals crumple under my hand. Embarrassed, I took it off my head and placed it back in the water, where it lazily drifted by, petals slightly ruffled, but otherwise intact.

"So... I couldn't help but notice," Camilla said, her expression a little too sly for my taste. "You were daydreaming so happily, and I can only assume _whom_ you were fantasizing about?"

I lowered my body into the water so it covered my lips, and I ignored what Camilla said and continued to watch the water lily bob nearby. Under the water, she gave me a playful little nudge with her toe and said, "Come on! Who were you daydreaming about?"

I could feel heat spreading all over my already pink face, and I lowered my head until my earlobes were tickling the surface of the hot, bubbly water, not daring to open my mouth.

Sudden voices made me and Camilla turn to the entrance, and I saw Nina, Ophelia, Aversa, and even Lucina enter the room, all having fluffy, white bath towels wrapped around their bodies.

"I couldn't help but overhear," Nina grinned, taking her towel off to sit on my left. "You know, about... _fantasies_."

"You've been through a lot," Ophelia pointed out, removing her towel with flourish as she took a seat across me, "so you're bound to know a bunch of gossip."

"About what?" I asked, visiting the desire to completely submerge myself and never return to the surface..

"Oh, come on!" Nina goaded, her wide eyes sparkling. "You know, about Alfonse and Sharena's mom and one hunk of a dad!"

" _Nina_!" Lucina exclaimed, looking shocked, and Nina and Ophelia giggled.

"Don't be jealous, Lucy, I think Chrom is pretty sexy too," Nina said, giggling again at the baffled expression on Lucina's face.

"What _I_ would like to know," Aversa purred, stepping into the water and squeezing between me and Nina so she could creep her hand over my back and pull me to her side, "what our little Kiran was daydreaming about."

Then everyone's faces turned to me, expectant, as they waited for me to answer.

I ignored the staring and sighed, my breath creating ripples on the crystal, clear water. Keen to avoid eye contact, I wriggled away from Aversa and focused my gaze at my lap, distractedly fingered a loose end on the bandaging on my abdomen.

"I _told_ you she wouldn't answer," Ophelia muttered to Lucina, looking sorely disappointed.

"I never said she wouldn't," Lucina patiently pointed out, but Nina cocked an eyebrow and said, "You _did_ , however, say that you yourself were interested regarding Kiran and her...significant _other_."

Mortified, I turned to Lucina. "Not you too!" I wailed, hiding my face in my hands, my fingertips slightly pruned from the water.

Lucina, who had the grace to look guilty, quickly looked away from me and muttered, "Well... _everyone_ has, really."

I stopped fiddling with the bandage strap, fearing I would unravel it, and tried to distract everyone from my personal love life.

"Ophelia, pass me the soap," I said, firmly extending my hand in expectancy, and was relieved when she passed me the small container and a washing towel, although with a slight pout.

"Oh, come _on_ darling!" Aversa goaded, stealing the slippery soap and towel from me. "I know we're pretending that we don't know who you're pining for, but it really _is_ quite obvious!"

I tried to glare at her but she hid behind my back and pushed my sopping hair over my shoulder so she could wash my back. Before anyone else could prod me further, Aversa said, "Oh dear... Jörmungandr did _quite_ a number on you."

Before I could demand what she meant, I was turned so everyone could see my back and soon the room was filled with echoing murmurs of sympathy.

"What?" I demanded, trying to feel my back. "What is it?"

But sudden shouting in the distance made all of us start as I recognized Maribelle's angry voice.

"And _what_ do you think _you're_ doing here?" Hardly giving the person she was speaking to time to answer she said, "You were trying to sneak in, weren't you? _Really_! I thought you were a decent young man, but I'm _disgusted_ that you would attempt something so _childish_ and _barbaric_!"

We exchanged amused looks as Maribelle continued to give the enigma a severe tongue lashing, her voice harsh with anger. To my surprise, I recognized Alfonse's exasperated voice as he raised his voice to be heard.

"I was going to check if Kiran was in--"

Maribelle gave a derisive laugh and asked, "And you were just going to _waltz_ in here to _check_ , like some _barbaric ruffian_?"

Suddenly, as if we were all expecting Alfonse to enter the woman's bathhouse, Lucina, Nina and Ophelia all protectively stood in front of me, shielding me from any potential peeping toms. Camilla rolled her eyes and and stepped out of the water, the liquid trickling down her curvy body and dripping on the floor. Not bothering to wrap herself with a towel, she went out of sight to join Maribelle.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Prince Alfonse," she said, sounding amused. "If you're _really_ that desperate to check on Kiran then you might as well join us!"

" _Indeed_!" Maribelle indignantly sniffed.

"Ah, no, th-that's really not--" Alfonse quickly stammered, obviously extremely flustered, but was cut off by Maribelle again.

"What on _earth_ gives you the _audacity_ to attempt to sneak into the _woman's_ bathhouse?"

"I wasn't _trying_ to!" Alfonse earnestly insisted, sounding horrified at the idea. "I was just going to ask if--"

"If _what_?" Maribelle demanded, snorting angrily. "I dare you to answer that question!"

"Calm down, Maribelle," Camilla soothed. "I can handle this."

Nina and Ophelia, who had already been entertained by the whole sequence, began to giggle silently, and I knew why.

Alfonse was now given the chance to continue to get viciously berated by the enraged Maribelle, or speak to the calm and logical, not to mention entirely nude Camilla.

Huffing angrily, Maribelle left Camilla with Alfonse and haughtily marched away, soon coming into view. Her cheeks were pink with anger, and her eyes were dangerously bright as she unwrapped her towel, placed it next to everyone else's with unnecessary force, and took her place in the dwindling vacant places in the pool I had chosen.

Just then Camilla walked in to grab a towel and neatly wrapped it around her body, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "It was impossible to get some sense out of the prince with him shielding his eyes," she explained, turning to head back to the entrance. "The poor thing was as red as a melon and wouldn't stop stuttering!"

This time Nina and Ophelia couldn't contain their laughter, and Lucina allowed herself a tentative smile. Aversa, who had been smirking as she eavesdropped, began to continue to wash my back with noticeable gentleness.

After less than a minute Camilla returned and removed her towel and took her place back in the water. She was smiling in obvious enjoyment and turned to Maribelle, who was still scowling.

"Don't worry, the prince had his best interests at heart," she said, and there was another round of laughter. "It turns out prince Alfonse wanted to see if Kiran was here and if she was okay."

"Awww!" Nina, Ophelia and Aversa crooned in unison, and I shook my head in exasperation, unable to hold back a sheepish grin.

"I told him that you were fine and she was in good company," Camilla continued, winking at me. "I reminded him that if there was any troubles, Maribelle was there."

"I don't think that would reassure him much," Lucina logically pointed out, and this time I joined in the laughter as we all turned to look at Maribelle, who was looking rather pleased with herself.

"I showed him, didn't I?" She said smugly, throwing her hair back. Suddenly sobering, Maribelle turned to me and said, "Mikoto was actually the one who sent me, darling. She wants me to check on your bandages and redress your wound."

I looked down and fingered the stray fabric that I had been fiddling with before. Sensing my uncertainty, Maribelle added, "It's okay to soak the wound. These springs do have healing properties, do they not?"

"Yeah, I guess," I said distractedly, suddenly afraid to unwrap my bandaging. Giving me an understanding look of sympathy, Maribelle gave me a reassuring smile and carefully began to unwrap the soft, silken fabric. The tight pressure it gave was slowly receding, and I was unable to hold back a gasp of pain and surprise as the hot water splashed on my newly exposed wound.

"Are you okay?" Lucina asked, frowning anxiously.

"I'm fine," I quickly reassured as Mirabelle removed the last of the bandaging. Unable to stop myself, I looked down and felt a sense of revulsion and fascination as I looked at the stab injury Jörmungandr had inflicted on me.

It was surprisingly small and clean, only several inches long, between my navel and the bottom of my rib cage. But it wasn't the neatly-healing wound that made my stomach lurch anxiously.

A large purple and yellow bruise the size and shape of a fist was clearly visible on my stomach, and I remembered the agonizing blow I received after I had gotten stabbed. And it wasn't the only bruise. Fading dark splotches were all over my body, and I recalled how violently I had been tossed and jerked around by Jörmungandr's soldiers.

"I didn't know it was this bad," I said in a nervous, hushed voice.

"When I first saw you, sitting alone," Camilla murmured, "I was horrified to see you covered in those awful bruises." Smiling gently, she added, "But you were smiling so serenely, I knew that you were thinking of someone who's capable of taking away so much pain."

I lowered my gaze and gave a tiny nod. This time no one pressured me to ask who I had been daydreaming about. A strong part of me had a feeling everyone knew at this point.

"Now then!" Camilla said with a brisk clap of her hands. "Kiran must attend a very important meeting, and she needs to be properly cleaned! Aversa," she said, nodding to the silvery-haired woman, "keep cleaning Kiran's backside, but mind those bruises!"

Seeing the apprehensive expression on Lucina's face as she eyed her former enemy assist me, Camilla added, "Lucina, darling, I need you to get Kiran's hair as clean and fresh as newly-fallen snow."

Looking pleased, Lucina moved to the edge of the pool where the cleaning products were and grabbed a bottle of some fragrant shampoo. Back at my side, she held the bottle over my head and I felt the cold gel slither on top of my scalp and trickle down the back of my neck.

"What can _we_ do?" Ophelia and Nina eagerly asked in unison, and Camilla considered them for a few moments and said, "You can do Kiran's hair once she's all nice and dry. I trust she'll be as cute as a button under both of your care."

Turning back to me, Camilla beamed at me fondly and said, "I am going to clean you up front, and I'm going to make sure every bit of grime and dirt is off your cute, little body!" To my embarrassment, she punctuated her last several words with affectionate pokes right between my... _bosoms_.

Embarrassed, I adjusted my position so it would make the cleaning a little easier and let them do their work. I tried not to wince when Lucina began to scrub the crown of my head, as it was still tender after Jörmungandr did his "number" on me.

For a while the only sounds to be heard were soft splashing, scrubbing, dripping water and the tiny squeaks of pain I was unable to hold back. Finally, unable to handle the sudden lack of conversation, I blinked soap out of my eyes and quietly said, "King Gustav was the one who rescued me from Jörmungandr."

Everyone's reaction was as I expected: delighted and awestruck. Nina and Ophelia gasped, Lucina dropped the wooden bucket she had just picked up, Camilla stopped scrubbing my still tender neck and gave me a look of surprise, and Aversa purred, "Oooh, _do_ tell us how that went."

I thought back on the disaster of a battle and tried to recollect the chaos in the heat of the fight.

First I described the tension after Sharena gave us her report, and Alfonse's plan. Maribelle looked like she would be more than delighted to verbally abuse the dangerous plan, but Ophelia shushed her and she stayed silent.

I told them about how the battle quickly went awry and I was captured and taken to Jörmungandr, and I hardly noticed the slight tremor that crept into my voice as I recounted the terror that the undead general inflicted on me. At this point my audience's faces were a mixture of sympathy and rage.

Suddenly afraid on telling them about the ruthlessness of Jörmungandr and the pain and fear I had felt, I temporarily fell silent and took a shaky breath and continued my story.

"I could feel my consciousness fading, but before I fainted I got a glimpse of king Gustav at full strength."

There was a hush, and Nina breathed, "What was he like? Hot? Intimidating?"

It wasn't hard to recount the terrible anger and power Alfonse and Sharena's father emanated. His eyes were blazing blue fire and the sound of his voice left me with chilling goosebumps.

"He was..." I slowly said, frowning slightly, "... _scary_." Suddenly unable to continue, I dropped my head again and focused my attention on a floating cluster of bubbles and suds that I distractedly swirled my finger in.

"I _bet_!" Nina exclaimed in hushed awe. "Wow, Kiran! Out of all of the men to rescue you, it was _Alfonse's_ father!"

"Mmhmm," I murmured, hardly hearing her. I remembered once more on the aftermath of the battle and my tender, private conversation with the young prince. Suddenly, as if on its own, my mouth open and I burst out in a slightly choked voice, "I... I think I'm in love with Alfonse..."

I was expecting another burst of excitement, but instead everyone exchanged knowing looks and Camilla said in amused exasperation, "We _know_ , darling. We've known for a quite a long time..."


	9. The King's Plea

_Why oh WHY did I let Nina and Ophelia do my hair?_ I thought in flustered panic as I was nearly sprinting to the Great Hall where we have all of the war meetings. To be fair, I couldn't help but admit that my hair did look rather nice, with curled bangs framing my face and my hair done in a long, braided plait. 

_Oh gods_ , I thought miserably as I quickly passed nearby Heroes I previously summoned and Askran soldiers. I nearly crashed right into Marth in my hurry, and I spluttered a quick apology before jumping to my feet and continuing to hurry. _How late am I? Did they start without me?_

Finally I found myself at the heady double doors that opened to the Great Hall, and I was nearly doubled over, gasping for breath. One of the guards flanking the entrance said, "Excellent, the meeting was just about to start." They opened the door with a heavy groan, and I entered, aware that the room's every occupant had turned their eyes to me.

"Ah, Kiran," King Gustav said with a pleasant nod. "I'm glad you can join us. Please, take this seat." He gestured to the only vacant seat, which was, to my horror, right beside Alfonse. Trying to hide that I was out of breath, I slid into my seat and scooted my chair in with painful creaks.

There was a silence, the door closed, and now that I had taken my seat I saw who was attending the meeting. I was surprised on the amount of attendees. There was only a handful of the usual crowd that was at each meeting, and I soon spotted among the unfamiliar Askran soldiers Fjorm, Gunnthrà, Robin (both male and female), Sharena, Anna, and to my surprise, Eir, who was being flanked by two armed guards.

"Let us begin," King Gustav said, and there was a round of nods. For a moment the king gave a look around the room, and I hope I imagined that his gaze on me lasted the longest. Finally, he looked at Eir and gave her a civil nod.

"This young woman claims to be the daughter of Hel, the Sovereign of Death."

There was a hush as everyone turned to look at her in newfound surprise, interest and thinly veiled suspicion. I was expecting this would make Eir nervous, (as it most certainly would make me) but she almost didn't seem to notice. Her silvery blue eyes had a distant look, as if she was mentally unpresent.

Gustav gave her a calculating look and continued. "If you are who you say you are, young woman, then you may be able to give us highly valuable information that could lead Askr to victory."

Just when I thought that Eir hadn't been listening, she looked back at the king and nodded silently, her beautiful face as pale as ever.

Robin (male) spoke first. "If I may, King Gustav," he cautiously began, but continued more confidently at the king's confirming nod. Looking at Eir with polite interest, he asked, "It almost seems that this useful information is being given _voluntarily_. May I ask why?"

There was some murmurs of agreement, and Eir spoke.

"My mother...has done terrible things. I...I can no longer stand by and watch as she tries to end innocent lives and extend her kingdom."

There was a thoughtful silence as everyone considered this, and this time female Robin spoke up. "If you speak the truth, Princess, then what do you suggest we do first?"

Eir, looking puzzled, was silent for a moment before confessing, "I do not understand."

This time, Gustav spoke. "What are the first steps to stopping your mother for good?"

Eir's face, usually placid to the point of being vacant, suddenly became sad and she sighed softly. "I am afraid that nothing I will say will be of any use."

There was another silence, this one heavy with shock and disbelief, and Sharena tentatively raised a shaking hand and said, "But...surely we would not know completely if we don't try?"

Eir shook her head. "There is no stopping death," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Nothing you can do will stop my mother."

Sudden muttering broke through, and I heard someone mutter, "Then why did we even bring her if there's no point?"

"Enough," Gustav said, raising a quieting hand. He turned back to Eir. "I have faced your mother before," he said, "and I know she not an enemy to take lightly. But I have managed to escape her grasp."

I couldn't resist a glimpse at Alfonse, as he gave an almost inaudible gasp when his father mentioned that he had met Hel in battle previously. Quickly looking away before he noticed, I joined everyone in waiting for Eir's answer.

"Yes, my mother can be injured," she said. "But she is death herself--there is no stopping power as plentiful as my mother's."

"Princess Eir," Alfonse said, and everyone turned to look at the young prince. Unfazed by the sudden attention, he smiled patiently and said, "While I have no experience in engaging with such beings like your mother, would there perchance be the possibility that Hel's defeat is possible, it just merely has never been accomplished before?"

There was some thoughtful nodding and murmuring, and Eir gave Alfonse a mildly interested look as if he was something unusual she had never seen before, and said, "If such a proposal existed, not even I would know of it."

"So can it be done, then?" Fjorm asked. "Finding Hel's weakness and stopping her?"

There was another silence as everyone considered this, and Alfonse spoke once more. "If we are to search for something like this, then we must expand our searching beyond the castle's libraries."

"Yes, but where else would we look?" Anna asked uncertainly, and everyone exchanged dubious expressions as they thought about this.

"Askr's library doesn't contain the knowledge of everything," Alfonse pointed out, and I couldn't resist a pang of annoyance at how optimistic he spoke. "There are places all over the world that contain knowledge that we have never even dreamed of."

"While that may be true," Anna said, frowning, "we don't have the time and people so search all over the world."

"I'm afraid I have to agree," male Robin said, giving Alfonse an apologetic glance. "The global search for something that we might not even find would just be a waste of time and energy."

To my surprise, Gustav turned to me and asked, "What do you suggest, Summoner?"

The air seemed to hold its breath as everyone waited for my opinion and advice. Ignoring the uncertainty rising in my throat, I found my voice and said, "I agree with Robin. I feel we must focus all of our morale and energy into something more possible to achieve."

"Hear, hear," some people chorused, and I felt a bubble of pride rise in my chest.

"Wisely spoken," Gustav said, giving a nod of approval, but the pride I was savoring was suddenly soured by the realization that everyone, including me, had rejected Alfonse's proposal. Unable to resist a glance at him, I was relieved to see that he was smiling and nodded.

"Spoken like a true tactician," he said, and there were some murmurs of agreement, and the warm sense of dignity rose in my chest once more, and I was unable to hold back a shy smile.

Then, for the first time, Gunnthrà spoke, her warm, maternal voice unexpectedly grim.

"I must advise that we take action soon," she said, her expression unusually serious. "The voices in my dreams have been growing troubled and restless."

Then, before I could stop myself, I said, "I too have been experiencing disturbing dreams."

Suddenly uncomfortable under the intense staring I was receiving as everyone processed my words, I dropped my attention to my lap, almost ashamedly.

Recalling the nightmares I experienced last night, I was suddenly afraid of telling everyone of the disturbing images that have been plaguing me.

Suddenly a warm hand slid over mine, and I gave Alfonse a look of mild surprise before he asked, "Please, Kiran, what did you see?"

The warmth of his touch and the fact that the gesture was hidden under the table gave me some courage, and I hesitantly spoke up.

"I see the prince and the princess," I said, suddenly unable to mention their names. "I can see that they're in danger..." I thought about how desperate they were reaching for each other, and I found that I was unable to bring that up. "And then... I see s-someone," I clumsily added, careful not to mention any names, "...grieving. And then... they're seen later, shaking hands with a woman made of shadow..."

Unable to stand the stunned stares I was receiving, I mumbled, somewhat lamely, "And that's all."

There was the heaviest silence yet, and slowly everyone turned their attention away from me and to Alfonse and Sharena. Despite how vague I was, mentioning the siblings in danger and an unnamed enigma grieving, it didn't take much to add two and two together.

"I see," King Gustav said, stroking his beard. After looking away from his two children he looked to Gunnthrà and asked, "Do you sense any meaning in the Summoner's vision?"

Gunnthrà gave me a look that told me she knew I was withholding information, turned back to the king and said, "I will discuss these matters with Kiran later and I will inform you the interpretations as soon as I can," she promised.

"Thank you, Princess Gunnthrà," Gustav said. Looking back at everyone else, he said, "If there is indeed no stop to Hel, then our priority must go to resealing the barrier from our realm to Hel's. Tomorrow, me and my men will find the forces of Hel and force them to retreat back to Hel, where we will reactivate the barrier. If anyone wishes to join me, then speak to me."

Alfonse instantly raised a hand, but Gustav ignored it and said, "You are all dismissed." As everyone was standing up and exiting the room, I heard the king quietly say to Alfonse, "One moment. I wish to speak to you alone."

At the sound of the word "alone," a sudden grip on my hand made me pause midstep and I curiously looked to see that Alfonse had taken my hand, although judging the look on his face told me that he hadn't meant to.

The king's eyes flicked to our intertwined fingers, and to my dismay his expression hardened.

"I wish to speak to you _alone_ , Alfonse."

I was alarmed to feel the grip on my hand tighten, but when Alfonse spoke his voice was steady and resolute.

"What you wish to say to me surely can be spoken in front of Kiran?" he asked, and through the civility in his tone I detected a challenge in his voice, and I looked back at king Gustav, scared.

"No, it's okay," I whispered to him, gently trying to pull my hand away, but the grip on my hand didn't relinquish.

King Gustav regarded the two of us for a few heartbeats, his stone-hard gaze as intimidating as ever. To my relief he gave a resigning sigh and said, "Perhaps it is best Kiran hears what I am to tell you." Looking away from my surprised expression, Gustav looked at his oldest and said, "I apologize for cutting you off before. I assume you wish to join me to send Hel's forces back?"

"Yes, Father," Alfonse said, looking immensely relieved. "The Order of Heroes, led by Commander Anna will take part."

For a moment I was expecting king Gustav to deny this offer, but he merely said, "Do as you wish." Suddenly his expression hardened not with disapproval, but with severe sternness. "Just promise me one thing."

"Of course," Alfonse said, looking surprised.

"If you meet Hel," the king said, eyes darkening, " _do not engage with her_. If you see her, _run_. If you hear that she is coming, _run_. Better you don't get near enough to see or hear her at all."

Alfonse, who was looking stunned at the severity in his father's voice and advice, asked in a slightly hushed voice, "Father... Do you know her?"

King Gustav's eyes grew distant for a few heartbeats as he recalled something from his long, battle-ridden past. "Twenty years ago..." he said softly, "I fought her. The scar I bear is her doing."

Before I could stop myself, my eyes flicked to the slightly faded scar that crossed across his lined, grim face, and I had the sudden feeling that the injury took part in the danger that the king imposed in battle.

"A foe who could wound you so harshly?" Alfonse asked in awed shock, also looking at his father's scar. "I understand the danger there."

Gustav's eyes narrowed into disbelieving, icy slits. "You do, do you?"

Looking disconcerted at this reaction, Alfonse's expression turned to uncertainty as he cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

"It was not that she was strong and I was weak," Gustav said, his voice stern once more. "Death is not measured on such scale. Death comes for all the living. That cannot be denied. And Hel is death itself. The only reason why I survived her encounter was blind luck--nothing more."

I fought back chills at these words and soon found myself unable to continue looking at the king, so I dropped my head to my feet and stayed silent.

"I see," Alfonse said, sounding disturbed. 

"Alfonse, you _must_ listen to me," Gustav said with newfound intensity in his voice. Gripping his son by his shoulders he looked him in the eye and said, "Do not approach Hel-- _no matter what_."

Suddenly I understood why Gustav relented with my presence. Although he had not spoken a word to me, I heard the plea in his voice in his unspoken request.

_If my son chooses to disobey me, stop him at all costs._


	10. Broken Barriers

Alfonse was startled by his father's words. All his life he had been taught by the king to always take action when it comes to eliminate threats to the kingdom and their people. But to run away from Hel? To _flee_?

He suddenly realized he was still holding Kiran's hand, but didn't let it go. His father's warning ringing in his head, he looked at Kiran, who was distractedly watching where his father had just left, her eyes distant yet thoughtful.

That meeting had been difficult to sit through. Alfonse had attended countless war meetings, but he had never experienced one that had him both comfortable, yet uncomfortable. He thought it was going to be a typical war meeting until Kiran had entered.

He could not forget Maribelle's rage upon seeing him. Alfonse, who had carefully and mentally rehearsed how he was going to check if Kiran was okay, had not anticipated it to go so horribly wrong so quickly.

What he planned was for to stand at the entrance and ask if Kiran was inside and if she was all right. He had entered, but as soon as he closed the door behind him it opened again, and for a moment the person hadn't noticed Alfonse, as he was being hidden by the door. But as it slowly creaked shut, Maribelle locked eyes with him, and before he could explain himself she was already shouting and waving a scolding finger at him. Then...just when he thought it couldn't get worse, Camilla just had to join them, shamelessly exposed.

The memory made Alfonse blush, and to his horror Kiran had noticed and she gave him an inquisitive look and asked, "Are you all right? You're all flushed."

"I'm fine," Alfonse said feebly, running his hand down his flaming face with his free hand. "It's just...what happened earlier..."

"Oh!" Kiran gasped as she remembered, her face heating up as well. They both quickly looked away from each other, consciously aware that they were still holding hands.

Suddenly, as if she couldn't help it, Kiran began to giggle, her cheeks as pink as ever. For a moment Alfonse could only stare at her in blank surprise and awkwardness until she hiccuped and said, "I-I'm sorry. It's just..."

Then, before he could help it, Alfonse began to laugh too. Kiran joined in, and soon they were both pink in the face, breathless with amusement. One of the doors suddenly opened, and one of the guards cautiously peeked a head inside.

"Apologies, but I thought I heard..."

With immense difficulty, Alfonse sobered up and said, "Everything is fine. Thank you for the concern."

For a moment the guard stared at Alfonse suspiciously, then looked at Kiran, who was shaking with suppressed laughter. The guard looked at their flushed faces, then gave a small shrug and pulled their head out, the door clicking shut.

"I've never seen you laugh like that," Kiran said, looking at Alfonse, and he felt the familiar swooping sensation in his stomach as if he missed the last step of a flight of stairs. He grinned sheepishly at her and said, "It has been a long time since I laughed."

The humor slowly evaporated out of the room as Alfonse noticed that he had never let go of Kiran's hand. He reached out with his other hand and stroked Kiran's cheek, her hair feeling glossy and damp under his fingers. Part of him was embarrassed for such a sudden act, but to his relief Kiran smiled shyly and tenderly placed her hand over his; Alfonse could feel the warmth of her blush, and for a few heartbeats he was overwhelmed with raw emotion, reminding himself once more on how much in love with her he was.

Suddenly Alfonse had to kiss her. He didn't care if Kiran didn't return the gesture or if she pulled away. All he knew was that his private time with the tactician was running shorter and if he didn't do it now, he might get the chance again.

Sudden warm pressure on his lips made him start with surprise, and his heart nearly burst out of his chest when he realized that Kiran was kissing him. To his utmost amazement--and almost disappointment--Kiran made the move _first_.

Alfonse instantly began to kiss her back, running his fingers through her, silky hair, undoing the braid. He felt it unravel under his fingertips, and goosebumps rose on his flesh when Kiran's exploring hands slid under his shirt and stoked his back. He felt the warm weight of her body pressing against his, and Kiran gave a soft sigh as he removed her tactician's robe off her beautiful, slender body and tossed it aside with no second thought.

Before Alfonse could gain the courage to continue, both doors suddenly flew open and a small crowd tumbled into the room with a deafening thud. Alfonse guiltily jumped and pulled away from Kiran and turned to see that a group of eavesdroppers had been pressing their ears on the doors, causing them to fly open, making them all tumble over one another.

Slowly, the crowd got to their feet. It contained Nina, Ophelia, Aversa, Lucina, Sharena, Camilla and even his _mother_ , all stared at Alfonse and Kiran, their eyes wide, their jaws hanging into comical "o"s.

For a frantic second Alfonse was thinking of what to say. He tried to think of how he could gloss things over, but he then noticed that Kiran was successful removing his shirt, he was frozen from the process of unraveling the braiding on her shirt, and the crowd's disbelieving expressions turned to Kiran's discarded coat lying nearby in an abandoned little heap.

Aversa was the first to speak.

"Well, well, well, what _do_ we have here?"

"OH MY _GODS_!" Nina practically screamed, clutching at her face in shocked joy. "I _KNEW_ you two had the hots for each other, but--"

"Oh, _WHY_ did we have to interrupt you?" Ophelia sighed. "Things were obviously getting heated up!"

"We could hear you both in there," Camilla said, winking. "Neither of you were exactly subtle, were you."

"We heard _everything_ ," Lucina said, her eyes still wide.

"Er," Alfonse said, his skin suddenly chilly from being exposed. He turned to glance at Kiran and was alarmed to see that she vanished, but an arm suddenly reached from below the table and feebly groped for her coat.

"Now, now then, girls," Henriette said, her emerald eyes sparkling. "It's time I had a talk with the lovebirds. Off you all trot!"

All looking immensely disappointed, the girls all left, excitedly chattering to each other as they left. When their voices finally faded into silence, Henriette closed the double doors and said, "Better to make things safe," she said, "in case my husband comes back."

Now that they had proper privacy, Kiran tentatively peeked her head from under the table. Her eyes were wide and scared, and for the briefest second Alfonse fought the desire to laugh.

"Now then," Henriette said, handing Alfonse his slightly rumpled shirt. "Gustav told me that he already talked to you, Alfonse, but I had a feeling that something like this _might_ happen."

Alfonse said nothing, relieved to hide his face as he was donning his shirt.

"I know your father disapproves of you two together," his mother said, her tone suddenly gentle, "but _I_ , for one, _dis_ agree."

These words seemed to have given Kiran the courage to emerge from the table. She was quickly retying her shirt, her hair now hanging long and curly, although slightly ruffled. She stood up next to Alfonse, and he was suddenly aware that he could smell the fragrant soap from her hair.

Henriette fondly looked at the two of them, beaming. "I think there is nothing wrong with sharing your love with each other," she said, "and I hope that in due time Gustav will agree. Now, after having an audience like that, it's only a matter of time before everyone figures out about your relationship, so I'll try to make sure that your father hears of it from me."

She picked up Kiran's coat, gave it some brief dusting and handed it to the young tactician. "Oboro just made this earlier today, so I suggest you be a bit more careful with it."

"Yes ma'am," Kiran breathed, her voice barely audible.

"Please, lovey, call me Henriette," Alfonse's mother said, smiling softly at her. "After all, something tells me that you might be calling me 'mother' in the distant future!"

With that, she left, looking rather pleased with herself.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

I knew that the most gossipy Heroes had caught Alfonse and I in the act, but it was still alarming how fast the news spread. It was impossible to enter a room without being bombarded with congratulations, pleas for details, and endless variations of "about _time_!"

After finally kissing Alfonse, an invisible boundary between us seemed to have broken. My clumsy, unbearable shyness had vanished, and I was much more comfortable around the young prince now that our feelings were obviously shared and we no longer had to hide our affection.

Over the past few hours I constantly found myself revisiting that moment. When my coat was removed, I knew where we were heading. I remembered feeling Alfonse's muscles moving under his warm skin as my hands slid under his shirt. His fingers were sure and nimble as they were untying the knotting on my shirt, and I knew that if we hadn't been interrupted...

Sharena was giddy beyond belief that her best friend and her brother had been caught in such a scandalous act. Every time we made eye contact she would break into a huge grin and giggle excitedly. When Anna found out, she was unexpectedly serious.

"I'm thrilled you two finally shared your feelings," she said, "really, I am. Only, we're approaching dangerous times ahead, and soon we're not going to have time for having makeout sessions--"

"I know!" I indignantly said, but Anna gestured me to be quiet and continued.

"We all know what would have happened if you two hadn't been interrupted," she said, her expression suddenly stern. "And if that did happen, well, you two might have landed yourselves in an entirely new problem, if you get what I'm implying."

Alfonse and I both nodded, somewhat pink in the face.

"So," Anna said conclusively, "at least for the time being, stay out of each other's pants, okay?"

Alfonse and I both promised, although a tiny mischievous part of myself wasn't all that keen to, as Anna put it, " _stay out of each other's pants_." 


	11. Army from Hell

The giddy glow from my first kiss with Alfonse had fully extinguished when we were all fully prepared to join the king's knights to send Hel's army back from whence they came. The humor from everyone's knowledge of me and Alfonse getting "caught" had long since vanished, and I was uncomfortable from all of the stares the prince and I were getting.

I was hoping that everyone would get distracted once we all had mounted on our horses and began our journey to find Hel's army, but I was mortified to feel stares from the surrounding soldiers. Some even cupped their hands by their mouths and spoke to their peers in hushed whispers.

The only thing that made it all bearable was the fact that I was in the sympathetic company of Anna, Sharena and Alfonse, who all rode by my side.

"Don't worry about it, Kiran," Anna soothed as I miserably glanced at a pair of soldiers who had obviously been gossiping. "This will all be forgotten once we engage in combat."

"I know that," I said, dropping my voice as I looked up to glance at the king, who was leading the army. "It's just..." I faltered into silence, too embarrassed to say that I was now terrified of Alfonse and Sharena's father. The fact that I was aware of his disapproval on my relationship with his son, so did it mean that I was disobeying him from kissing Alfonse? Was I going to get in trouble? Was Alfonse going to get in trouble?

Thankfully Sharena sensed what I was hesitating to say and she gave me an understanding look. "Don't worry about Father," she said consolingly. "I think Mother had a talk with him and smoothed things over. Right, Alfonse?"

To my surprise, Alfonse didn't answer. Me, Anna and Sharena all turned our heads to look at him and saw that he was looking at his father's back, his eyes distant and distracted. I looked back at Anna and Sharena, who were looking at the young prince in mild surprise. It wasn't like Alfonse to be so lost in thought like this.

"Um... Alfonse?" Sharena asked.

Somewhat amused, I gave him a little poke on the back of his head, and he started.

"I'm sorry," he said, giving his head a little embarrassed shake. "I was just thinking and got lost in my own thoughts."

Smirking, Sharena asked, "What were you th..." but her voice trailed off when Anna gave her a stern look and shook her head pointedly. If Alfonse noticed, he didn't give any sign of it.

"Attention, Order of Heroes!" King Gustav demanded, his powerful voice cutting through the semi-silence like a cleaver. We all turned our heads to the front and nodded, showing the king that he had our attention.

"I want you all to split up from our men," Gustav said, gesturing around him. "That way we can ambush Hel's forces from different approaches. Any questions?"

"No sir!" The Order of Heroes all chorused in unison, me included.

"Good," Gustav said. "Let us part ways then."

Right before he left Gustav gave me a sharp look and for a frighteningly fleeting moment I thought it was a warning about me and his son. But instead it was a more pointed and reminding look, and I understood his message.

Remember your promise.

I nodded to show that I understood and the king gave his son one last look, and for the tiniest moment they made eye contact and I held my breath. But then the contact broke and the king sped off with his soldiers, leaving me, Anna and his two children with our own soldiers.

After a tiny pause Anna raised her axe over her head and bellowed, "You heard the king! Onward to victory!"

Everyone also raised their weapons over their heads and echoed her words before nudging our horses and took our direction to the east. The ground below us was rushing by in a blur, and my hood flipped back from my head as my hair went flying behind me, the fresh wind blazing against our faces.

As we got closer, the ever so familiar rush and excitement filled my chest as we headed into battle. I felt Ilmr's Fury bouncing against my ribs from inside my coat, and I adjusted its grip so I would instantly have it on hand once we faced our enemies.

Despite it being midday, the sky and atmosphere darkened as we approached closer and closer to the gateway to Hel. Finally, we stopped at the base of a steep hill that outlooked the scenery that would soon be our battlefield.

We dismounted and silently crept up the hill, the tension in the silence increasing to the point of near tangibility.

"Hel...the ruler of the dead," Anna breathed in my ear, her grip on Nóatùn tightening. "To think we'd to face someone like that..." She turned her head to look at all of the Heroes and Soldiers under her command and looked back to me, and I was startled to see an uncertain look in her eyes. "If we could strike swiftly and take the head of our enemy, this war would end in an instant. But that seems... Well..." Her voice dwindled, she shot a look at Eir, who was at my right.

Anna gave her head a quick shake as if trying to wake herself and said in a more brisk tone, "Let us concentrate on the foes we find in front of us for now."

A sharp howling rose in the distance, and Anna exclaimed, "That's the king's signal! It's time we head into battle!"

With a war cry, we all charged over the hill and into the seemingly endless crowd of undead soldiers, and we began our fight for freedom.

"Anna! Sharena!" I called and beckoned them forward. Once they were at my side I said, "I want you two to take some forces with you and take those clusters of sword-bearers and lance-fighters that are flanking the army! That should give the others more room to advance forward!"

"Got it!" They both crowed and soon vanished in the din.

"What about me?" Alfonse asked, and I gave him a significant look and said, "We'll head directly into the center, and you will stay by my side!" I made those last words as stern as possible, half-expecting him to protest. Instead there was a brief flicker of impatience in his eyes but he nodded, and we both joined a particularly thick cluster with Ephraim, Camilla and Hector, who were all fighting back-to-back.

"Lovely weather for fighting the undead!" Camilla said, her voice slightly strained as she gave her axe a massive swing, taking off the heads of three soldiers at once.

"The very best!" Hector agreed, ramming his shield to stun a particularly large veteran and heaving his axe, Thunder Armads, directly into its skull where it shattered like porcelain glass, sending bone shards everywhere. "Sorry!" He called apologetically, although he was grinning like a pleased schoolboy.

Ephraim impaled an emaciated commando squarely center into its rib cage. With a grunt he swung his spear--Flame Siegmund--and the corpse went flying over his shoulder and crashed into several other undead beings, causing them to crumple into a pile and dissolve into darkness. "I see you two are fighting side-by-side," he said to me and Alfonse, eyebrows raised.

"Oh hush!" I snarled irritably as I send a flaming torrent through an approaching crowd, making them all burst into flames and go skidding out of view.

"Behind you!" Alfonse said, and I spun on my heels and saw a massive, rusty claymore swing directly at my face. I was about to roll to the side when Alfonse gave me a rough shove, sending me off balance and clumsily tumbling to the ground.

"You need to be more careful!" Alfonse scolded, and I leapt back up and spat some hair out of my mouth and retorted, "I _know!_ I was going to roll away, _but_ you--"

My voice cut off when Camilla pushed Alfonse and I to the side and swung her blade into a demonic footman neither Alfonse and I had noticed.

"Now's not the time for childish bickering!" She snapped, glaring at the two of us. Ignoring our outraged expressions she swung her violet-colored hair over her shoulder and charged further into the din, vanishing.

Silently daring Ephraim and Hector to scold us further, I used _Saggitae_ to send a flurry of arrows shoot several approaching decaying fighters, and they collapsed and melted away.

"Nice one!" Hector roared, yanking Thunder Armads out of the ribcage of a dissipating fighter and threw his massive axe, where it spun lethally past me and struck a decaying trooper.

"Right back atcha!" I called, feeling a rush of pride for the both of us. 

"Coming through!" A voice sang through the chaos, and Kronya leaped into view, her gingery hair flyaway, her red eyes sparkling with glee. Hardly giving any regard to her allies, she threw a handful of daggers, each one striking an undead soldier in the eye. Giggling, she licked her lips and ran her tongue along the surface of one of her daggers before ducking out of view to continue her murder spree.

I could tell this attitude of hers bothered Alfonse, but I ignored his disapproving frown and used Saggitae to nail down a number of fighters. Suddenly a blindingly painful blow to my abdomen send me skidding, and for a moment all I could feel was the raging agony from my healing wound being struck again. Blinking stars out of my vision I struggled to my feet and felt a stab of panic when I found myself weaponless.

Within seconds I was surrounded, and I froze, my mind going suddenly blank with sheer panic. Suddenly the imposing fighters were all neatly struck by familiar daggers, and I melted in relief as I saw Eir sweep by, atop her midnight black pegasus. She dismounted and, looking suddenly uncertain, she hesitantly offered her hand, as if she had never done so before. I thankfully accepted and got to my feet.

"Thank you," I told her gratefully, and she gave me a look of deep surprise, and I suspected that this was the first time someone had shown her gratitude. 

"So you have joined the fight Kiran," she said, shyly withdrawing her hand.

This time it was my turn to give her a shocked look. "Of course I did," I said, almost insulted that someone would assume I wouldn't. Eir said nothing and looked at me thoughtfully, her beautiful face chalk-white and calculating.

It was finally at this point when I noticed that the battle was over. The ground was littered with discarded pieces of armor and weapons, and there were tar-like puddles where the fallen soldiers had disappeared. To my relief all of my allies were still standing and only bearing minor injuries.

"Kiran!" Alfonse exclaimed and quickly was at my side, instantly fussing over me as he had done after the battle against Jörmungandr.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I assured, impatiently brushing him away.

He finally stepped back, looking uncertain. I was certain he would demand if I was certain, but instead he cracked a smile and said, "For someone who was stern of staying by your side, you were quick to leave _mine_."

"Ah, sorry," I said, grinning embarrassedly. 

"It's okay," Alfonse said, pulling me in for an unexpected and painfully brief embrace. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"It's all thanks to Eir," I said, gesturing to where she was standing, the vacant, distant expression clouding her face. "Anyway, where's--"

"This?" Alfonse asked, suddenly holding Breidablik, and I gratefully accepted it.

"Thanks," I said, "but I was looking for my tome."

"Ilmr's Fury, right?" Alfonse asked, carefully scanning our surroundings. 

"Yes," I said, joining his search.

"It should be nearby if we look carefully," Sharena pointed out, and I nodded and said, "Let's split up. We'll find it sooner that way."

A horrible sweeping feeling in my stomach made me feel as if I was falling backwards, but I could feel my boots grounded sturdily.

As I began my search, ignoring my throbbing abdomen and aching ribs, a sudden thought occurred to me.

"Wait... Where are the king and his men?"

"They must have encountered a nearby force," Alfonse reasoned, standing from the lump of bushes he had inspected.

"They're bound to meet up with us soon," Anna said, who finally came into view. While visually unhurt, there was some black splattering on her face and axe, and her face was unusually grave despite our victory. Wordlessly, she handed me Ilmr's Fury, and I carefully stowed it in my coat.

Just then, we heard the horn again and the growing thunder of the approaching army and their horses. Soon the king arrived, and he had a troubled expression on his grisly face. "It seems the army withdrew here as well," he said, mostly to himself. Like Anna and some of the other Heroes, he had the tar-like substance visible on his clothing and weapon.

"Did you find Hel?" Alfonse asked his father, and he shook his head.

"No," he said. "Nor did we find the gateway to Hel."

"My mother must have known you were coming," Eir said, her silver hair nearly touching the ground below her as she walked to the king. "She had an army prepared to intercept you."

"Yes, she did," Gustav said, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he frowned. "And I do not like how easily we gained victory over her forces."

"We are close, though," Eir said, and I couldn't help but notice that her voice was devoid of encouragement. "Ahead, we will find the army of Hel, and that is most likely where you will find my mother."

"Didn't we just fight Hel's army, though?" Sharena asked, puzzled as she was distractedly running her fingers through her blonde hair, smearing the black muck.

"No," Eir said. "What you all fought was just a taste of her actual army. The soldiers you fought before were mere pawns, playthings to distract you and test your skills. If my mother is going to fight, she wants to know what her future opponents are like."

"I see," Gustav said, nodding. "And, given your word is true, we will find Hel's army if we advance onwards?"

Eir nodded, silent. There was something about her demeanor that I didn't like, but I forced the feeling aside, reminding myself that she saved my life.

"Then let us go," Gustav said. He turned to look at his son and I was expecting him to remind Alfonse of his warning, but instead he looked away and nodded.


	12. Doomed

"Shall we approach as we did before?" Sharena asked, but her father shook his head. "Since that is how we met her pawns, she'll expect us to greet her in such a manner. But I refuse to give her the upper hand."

"What are we to do then, Your Highness?" Anna asked, looking uncertain.

"We will face the army together, head on," Gustav said, "and we will break apart and split up during the fight."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone chorused, and Gustav looked to me and said, "Get your army ready to join mine. You have fifteen minutes to get organized, then we leave."

I nodded, fear creeping into my throat, although that had little to do with his order or the approaching battle.

I looked back at the Heroes that I had brought with me and did a quick headcount, thinking.

"Hector, Amelia, Effie, Sheena, Gwendolyn, Chrom and Greil!" I called. "I want you all to be in the front and center. You'll all be the heart of this fight."

I looked and looked for all of my infantry allies and began to call names. "Ephraim, Marth, Mareeta, Ike, Roy, Lucina, Kronya, Miciah, Leif, Mordecai, I want you all to approach the army from the sides and try to lure them to Hector and the others! Remember to stay close and not to separate!"

Looking up, I scanned all of the Heroes that had the ability to fly, I scanned the skies and cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, "Camilla! Azura! Nino! Naga! Aversa! Eir! Myrrh! Fiora! Naesala! Ryoma!"

Those who had been flying above swooped down and landed gracefully, while the others that had been standing glided over to join the crowd surrounding me, their expressions eager and alert for my orders.

"I want you all to fly from above and watch out for our armored and infantry allies! Watch their backs! If our infantry group needs help with the luring, assist them!"

Finally I looked at all of my cavalry units, all mounted on their steeds, weapons poised while waiting for my orders.

"Gunnthrá, Eliwood, Reinhardt, Olwen, Lyn, Ares, Eldigan, Xander, Titania and La'Rachel! I need you all to flank us all from the left and the right. Your goal is the same as our infantry friends: lure the enemy to our armored units."

"All right, ladies, you all heard her!" Anna barked, hoisting Nóatún over her shoulder. "Battle positions ready, and let's join the king's men!"

"What about us?" A tiny voice squeaked, and I looked down and saw that I had forgotten all of the manaketes and our dragon allies.

"Oh, right," I said, flushing guiltily. I looked and saw Tiki, Nah, Fae, Idunn, Nowi, both Corrins, Sothis, Myrrh, both Grima-posessed Robins, and both Kanas, all blinking at me in expectancy. After thinking for a few moments I said, "I want you all to distribute yourselves among everyone and be as ruthless and mean as you can--these soldiers have already died, so there's no worry for unnecessary violence against them, but please be careful for our allies!"

To my relief they all looked satisfied and nodded, both Robins' scarlet eyes gleaming with raw excitement and hunger.

I watched everyone shuffle into their positions, and I felt a warm glow of pride as everyone followed my orders and took their positions. Within minutes everyone was where they were supposed to be, and we soon left to join Gustav's army, and I made sure to take Alfonse's side and I said in a low voice, "I know what happened before, but my orders for you are the same."

Alfonse nodded, silent.

It didn't take long to join them. Soon we were all together, and as I looked at my army combined with the king's, I felt hopeful. Not certain, but pretty damn hopeful that things would go all right. I didn't bring as many Heroes as I usually did, as I knew we would fight alongside with the king and his army, but all the same I couldn't stop thinking of all of the faces and names that we had left behind.

Without warning a fiery explosion took place and the air was filled with flames, smoke and flying debris. The force send some of us flying, and within seconds we were enveloped in yet another battle. I tried to see if the Order of Heroes were still in positions, but the air was so thick with smoke and dust that it was impossible to tell.

Panic leaped into my throat when I realized that I couldn't find Alfonse, and I desperately looked around my surroundings, the battle suddenly unimportant. All that mattered was finding--

"Alfonse!"

There was some clanging of blade upon blade, and a grunt, and I heard him gasp, "Thanks, Lucina!"

Suddenly annoyed, the dust finally parted and I found Alfonse, whose cape and clothing were singed and smoking slightly from the explosion. When he saw me he melted in relief and was about to speak when another Elfire explosion bursted nearby, and I felt myself thud to the ground with Alfonse and Lucina.

It was impossible to see, so I opened Ilmr's Fury and the pages turned by themselves to land on Ivaldi, which I had never used before, but I didn't hesitate in giving it a try. There was a burst of light, and the dust and smoke had vanished, and our vision was finally clear.

"Wonderful, Kiran!" La'Rachel praised nearby, beaming at me. "I taught you well!"

Not bothering to tell her that she technically didn't ever teach it to me, I used the same spell I used to bind Eir and lassoed a group of fighters and gave the rope a fierce tug, sending them right into Lucina, Alfonse, and La'Rachel's grasp.

The battle continued to drag on, and I could sense exhaustion beginning to tighten my muscles and weigh down my limbs, but I just gritted my teeth and forced myself to keep going. I was beginning to notice injuries randomly appearing on me, a series of scrapes, scratches, cuts and slices, all bleeding. I was dimly aware of their stinging and throbbing, but every ounce of my focus was in keeping me and Alfonse alive.

Sudden pain flaring on my back made me yelp in surprise, and I could feel my blood, hot and sticky, spread on the torn fabric of my coat. Mentally apologizing to Oboro, I spun on my heels to face my opponent but I froze at the sight of Alfonse being picked up by a massive undead fighter, similarly to how Jörmungandr had held me.

In a moment of startling clarity I noticed that Alfonse had dropped his sword, and I rushed forward and picked it up. Never holding a sword in my life, I let my frantic instincts overtake me and I gave a vicious swing, and I was startled on how easily Fólkvangr sliced through the dead and rotting flesh. Alfonse crumpled by my side, and the now decapitated soldier stiffly fell backwards in a comical thud.

Realizing what I did I dropped the sword and instantly dropped to the prince's side, stammering incoherently. "Alfonse! Are you--you--you--"

"I'm fine," Alfonse assured in a slightly hoarse voice and coughed into his fist. "Thanks to you."

Blinking, I looked at Fólkvangr, its pearly blade stained with the black slime. "Sorry," I said, unsure what to say. I picked it up and awkwardly thrust it at him. "I didn't ask..."

To my surprise, Alfonse laughed and said, "Only you would apologize for saving someone's life. Thank you, Kiran."

Suddenly remembering we were in a battle, I sharply looked up and saw that the battle was still raging, although there was a considerable amount less fighters than when we began. I jumped up and was about to help Alfonse up but was slightly disappointed that he had gotten up on his own.

A sudden gasp made me turn in surprise to see Eir, her usual placid expression surprised, a reaction I usually had when I remembered something I had been trying to recall for a while. Suddenly she saw I was near her, and her expression saddened as she reached me.

"Now I see," she said, half glancing at the fading corpse of the fallen soldier I had finished off, then to Alfonse, the sadness in her face deepening. Looking back at me, she said, "I have devoted myself to you so I can tell you this now, Kiran... Alfonse's fate..."

"What do you mean?" I demanded, and I could feel ice trickle through my blood, chilling my heart. "What about Alfonse's fate?"

I looked at Alfonse, whose expression was suddenly grave. "Princess Eir?" He cautiously prompted.

For a moment Eir could only look at me and Alfonse, and the growing fear in my chest increased. Finally she gave a small shake of her head and said, "My mother's goal is to destroy the kingdom of Askr. What I did not know is who she would target first. But now I understand..."

"Understand what?" I asked, and I was unable to hold back a small tremor in my voice.

Eir had closed her eyes for a few heartbeats and said in an almost inaudible voice, "It pains me to say it, but Prince Alfonse... you will die."

"What?" I demanded, and the chill in my blood reached my bones. To my horror, Eir raised her hand and pointed it at the heart of the battle.

"See?" She asked, her tone heavy with regret. "Death has come for you. Look now..."

Suddenly I heard the unmistakable swish of a scythe, and distant screams.

Hel had finally arrived.

"Alfonse," I said, suddenly finding one of my hands grabbing Alfonse's. "We need to go."

But for a moment he seemed to be in some sort of trance, his gaze transfixed in the battle where the screams were getting closer. I gave his hand a fierce tug, but he remained rooted to the spot.

"Alfonse!" I pleaded, my voice unsteady with desperation.

Finally he gave my hand a small squeeze and looked at me, his expression perfectly calm and steady. "Kiran," he said, "now is the time to end Hel."

"But... We can't!" I moaned, giving his arm another futile pull. "Alfonse, remember what your father said! I-I gave him my word!"

"We can do it," Alfonse said, and unexpectedly smiled. "I know we can. Together."

The sound at that last word made the last of my determination to flee dissolve, and I tensely nodded, knowing very well how bleak our odds were.

A sudden looming presence temporarily took my breath away, and both Alfonse and I turned in unison to see a floating enigma whom I would bet my life to guess to be Hel, with her gaunt, bone-white complexion, sunken cheeks and glowing amber eyes that were hidden in shadows in her face.

It was impossible for Hel to be here this quick, and Alfonse, evidently startled, opened his mouth and weakly asked, "Who--"

"I am death...and I come to all who live," the woman murmured, raising her blood-soaked scythe so the blade gleamed in the sun. "Take my hand and slumber..." She extended an emaciated gloved hand to Alfonse, and for the tiniest moment his hand twitched, as if preparing to reach out.

Remembering my nightmares, I shouted, "NO!" and Alfonse started, realizing what he was about to do. Brow furrowing in newfound determination, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You are Hel--ruler of the dead!"

These words were the signal for Hel, for as soon as they left Alfonse's lips she swept her scythe with impossible speed, and I tackled the prince to the ground as I heard the blade whistle above, just where Alfonse's throat had been moments before.

Hel regarded me as both me and Alfonse got to our feet, and something told me that she hadn't considered me worthy of her attention...until now. Topaz-like eyes glittering darkly, a smile curved her black lips, but she said nothing.

There was sudden clattering and a shower of sparks, and I realized that Kagero and Kronya had thrown what would be lethal throws, but Hel's scythe flashed by in a single glint of light and the daggers were easily deflected. Kagero looked startled, and Kronya had curled her lips in a silent snarl of frustration.

Sudden roaring filled the air as my sight was flooded with different types of dragon breath, all aiming directly at Hel. When the reptilian cries had ceased, Hel was nowhere to be found.

"Where--"

Before I could finish my sentence a sudden shriek cut through the air and Myrrh's giant scaly body was thrown to the ground beside me with a thunderous crash, a vicious slice marking her left side.

"Out of the way, silly creature," Hel scoffed softly. "I have my eyes set for one target and one target alone."

An endless torrent of arrows whistled through the air and flew right through Hel--or where she would have been, but she disappeared once more.

"Your bravery is wasted," her voice breathed through the breeze, and we all tensed and looked frantically around in search for the shadowy woman and her lethal blade. Everyone's heads were frantically glancing around, like nervous birds. I could feel Alfonse's back press against mine as we searched in mute panic.

"Where is she?" I hissed to Alfonse, and he breathed back, "She's here...somewhere."

Thanks for the clarity, bud...

The silence was thickening, and the whole atmosphere seemed to be holding its breath. There wasn't a sound to be heard, not even a breath of wind or the call of a distant animal. I knew we could all sense her presence; its ghastly chill was hard to ignore.

"When I give the signal," Alfonse whispered, "everyone attack."

I turned to give him a bemused look. Usually I was the one who gave orders like this, and there was also the question of where to attack.

"Attack...where?" I whispered, and he muttered back, "Just trust me on this."

I hesitated, and I noticed that everyone was looking at me and Alfonse expectantly.

"Kiran, do you trust me?"

I hesitated again, at a loss on what he could be planning, but I then met his eyes and nodded silently. At this everyone reached the unspoken mutual understanding to be as still and quiet as possible and await for Alfonse's signal.

I saw him close his eyes, and I tried to do the same, but I was too jumpy and wary. Without warning, Alfonse's eyes flew open and in a single movement threw his sword like a giant dagger. It soared through the air in lightning speed, and abruptly it stopped midair as if striking something invisible.

"NOW!" Alfonse commanded, and not even a moment later Hel was suddenly visible, Fólkvangr protruding from her chest, her golden eyes wide with surprise, and everyone let loose. Dozens of different voices chanted different spells and the air was suddenly full of light, flames and shadows. Through this arrows were fired, darts and daggers were thrown, spears and lances stabbed and jabbed, swords and axes swung and sliced, and everyone was nearly deafened at the sounds of half a dozen dragons all roaring in the same direction. Then, almost as quickly as it had started, the din halted, and the dust settled.

The place where everyone aimed was empty, not to mention absolutely destroyed and smoldering. Hel was nowhere in sight.

"Did..." Alfonse hesitantly spoke, his eyes narrowed as he grabbed his sword from the center of the ruined area, which was sticking up in the very center. "...Did we win?"

"That was too easy," I said nervously. The spot where Hel was last seen was still smoking.

"Has she escaped?" Sharena wondered, her fingertips frantically drumming on Fensalir's grip.

"I don't like this," Anna said, and Alfonse and I nodded in agreement. Straightening up, Anna called in her sternest commanding voice, "Everyone, stay alert! Search the area!"

The search through the battlefield ensued, although nothing was found. Other than the scarred marking in the battlefield, there was no sign that Hel was even here in the first place. My heart was hammering in my throat, and my mouth was dry as everyone searched the skies, the ground, the shadows in the trees, all of our weapons pointed uncertainly at random angles.

"Doomed boy..."

Hel suddenly ascended from the ground right in front of Alfonse, who had stumbled backwards in shock. "You!" He gasped, his hand flew to the hilt of Fólkvangr, but he suddenly stiffened as if all of his muscles had locked. His eyes widened as Hel reached out for him and her bony, gloved hand phased right through his body, as if it was made of gas. Smiling serenely, Hel withdrew her hand, and Alfonse's blue eyes watched its movement, his body still frozen.

Suddenly, like invisible restraints vanishing, Alfonse could move again and he stumbled, but I grabbed his shoulders and steadied him. Alfonse, who had his hand over where Hel had reached inside him, was looking up at her in mute fear and confusion. Finally he found his voice and asked in a slightly unsteady voice, "What...what did you--"

Finally, Hel spoke, her eyes flickering like candle flames. "A curse in the name of Hel," she purred, "ruler of the dead, in nine days, your life will end."

"What?" Alfonse and I gasped in unison. I protectively had my hands on his shoulders from when I steadied him, and suddenly, like being hit with an invisible mallet, he dropped to his knees, taking me with him.

"Alfonse--wh..." My voice froze when I saw Alfonse's expression.

His skin had gone milky white, almost as pale as Hel herself, and his eyes were round with panic and fear. His face was twisted in pain, and cold sweat was beading on his brow. He dropped even lower when he clutched at his chest with both hands, and he choked, "Can't...breathe..."

Sharena was instantly at his side, and the both of us were desperately holding onto the young prince as if we expected him to disappear any second, but I don't think he noticed. He was still desperately trying to draw breath, but it sounded like it was causing him immense pain, and when he spoke his voice was barely over a croak. "This...feeling..."

I hushed him and murmured, "Shh, don't talk." Despite the softness of my voice, my entire head was filling with a panicked scream that was threatening to escape my tightening throat.

"Your fate cannot be changed," Hel said, watching Sharena and I try to tend to the prince in mild amusement. "The cohort of the dead has expanded. You are doomed, boy."

I wasn't even aware I had stood up, my injuries forgotten when I felt a sudden warmth in my hands, and I realized that I was unexpectedly holding Ilmr's Fury. It was emitting a pearly-white glow and the pages were flipping over each other the fastest I had ever seen yet. I could feel the warmth spreading through my entire body, like I was gradually being submerged in hot water. The pages stopped, and even without looking I knew what spell they landed on.

Njörðr.

A hot wind began swirling around me and I was dimly aware of hearing voices, but all I could truly notice was Hel's gloating face hovering above mine. She blinked and cocked her head, like a child spotting something interesting they've never seen before.

"Foolish girl," she murmured, and was I imagining it, or did she sound almost impressed? "Merging your very soul with an unstable spell that will do nothing but rid you of your life? How wasteful."

The wind grew stronger and hotter, and soon I was almost completely unable to see Hel through the blinding light I was emitting. Her words meant nothing to me--just shapeless sounds with no meaning. A pressure was building up in my heart, and I could feel something scalding trickling across my skin; fine golden threads were spreading across every bit of exposed skin, and I could feel my thoughts fading as the overwhelming pressure continued to build.

"Do it, then," Hel said, still smiling. "Although, I will regret not being able to harvest your soul with my scythe."

A roaring was suddenly filling my head when I felt a feeble touch of my hand, which was still hanging by my side. The sudden pressure distracted me, and the roaring and light had diminished so I was able to see that Alfonse had managed to crawl toward me and lightly grasp my hand with his trembling own. It was this point when I noticed that everyone else seemed to be bending against a strong wind, their faces screwed up against the light. Startled, I looked back to Alfonse, where he gave a tiny shake of his head, unable to speak.

Then, just like that, the glowing vanished, the winds died, and the pressure disappeared. The effort that must have required approaching me must have taken the last of Alfonse's strength, because he limply slumped to the ground and moaned softly.

I suddenly realized how exhausted I was. Angry, red burns had marred my skin where the gold veins had appeared, and I crumpled to the ground beside Alfonse, gasping for breath. We both feebly turned our heads to face each other, and we both reached out to each other's hands and linked our fingers together.

And, although Hel had long since vanished, I thought I could hear her whisper two last words:

Nine days.


	13. Hel's Victims

I wasn't really sure what happened next. I could feel Alfonse's feeble grasp in my hand, and the pain from the burns on my skin that _Njörðr_ had inflicted were returning. As if on cue, I could feel hot blood pulse out of the wound on my back, soaking into the ground below.

I could hear Alfonse gasping for breath beside me, and I felt my panic for him return in an overwhelming wave of fear. Did his breathing sound weaker, or was I just imagining it? I rolled my head so I could look at Alfonse, and the fear increased at the evident fear and pain on his pale, sweating face.

"Alfonse," I whispered, unable to speak any louder. When I saw that he was unable to look at me or reply, I squeezed his hand as hard as I could and I said, "You'll be okay. You'll be okay..." I repeated these words several more times in my head, but the more I did so the more I realized that I was failing to convince myself that.

The almost unnoticeable hold Alfonse was giving me suddenly slackened, and for one heart-stopping moment I thought that I just lost him, but I melted in relief when I saw that he was still breathing, though it was still laborious, and I realized that he must have lost consciousness.

I saw blurred faces swim above mine, but I was unable to discern them. I tried to stand up, but the best I could do was feebly tense my muscles. I felt a sudden stab as a new fear had arrived. _What did Njörðr do to me? Why was I so weak?_

I could hear voices, muffled and distant like I was hearing underwater, and I mustered up the strength to roll over so I was right beside Alfonse, and I pulled myself up to tightly grip the unconscious prince and I buried my face in his chest. I could feel his heartbeat under my cheek, faint and unsteady, and I closed my eyes and listened to it. They were numbered...each time his heart beat, he wouldn't get it back, and he would eventually run out. I tightened my grip and I whispered, "You're okay...you're okay..." I choked back a sob and breathed, "Please...please be okay...please..."

I could feel firm grips try to pry me off of Alfonse but I tightened my hold on him to the point that I knew it would be painful for him, but at the moment I didn't care. No one, not even Hel herself was going to take Alfonse away from me.

The voices were diminishing, and as was Alfonse's heartbeat. I could feel my grip loosening, and as I was losing consciousness one of my last thoughts were on how much I wanted him to hold me back--to hold me close, where I could be warm and comfortable. And safe. 

Right before I fainted, I realized something.

I had broken my promise to the king. Alfonse was dying, and it was all my fault.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"Any word on the king?"

A voice, hushed and tense, had awoken me. For a moment I thought they were speaking to me and I was about to reply that I didn't know but I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to speak. My mouth was as dry as sand and my tongue had glued itself to the roof of my mouth. Trying in vain to swallow, I stirred feebly and found that I was still incredibly exhausted and weak from trying to use _Njörðr_. But none of that mattered.

Ignoring my screaming muscles and half-healed wounds I forced my eyes open and forced myself up onto my elbows.

As I had suspected, I was in the hospital wing back at the castle. My vision was still blurry, but that was from being asleep for so long, and I turned my head side to side, searching the other bunks, but each and every one was taken by either a Hero or an Askran soldier.

I saw Myrrh was back in her human form, and she was bundled up in blankets. Her purple eyes were full of tears, and when she rolled to her side she let a squeak of pain and her tiny hands flew to where Hel had sliced her. She was one of the few who still had healers working on her, trying to soothe her and give her various potions.

 _Poor Myrrh_ , I thought sadly, only too aware that it was me that brought her to the battle in the first place. _She doesn't deserve this..._

Thankfully none of the other manaketes seemed to be injured that badly as far as I could see, as they were either asleep or talking to other patients. I overheard Fae, who had only a bandage covering one of her eyes, excitedly gushing to a tired-looking Xander on "how many bad guys she stomped on." Smiling slightly, I turned to see who else was here with me in the infirmary. I knew that only the most seriously wounded stayed in the infirmary, so those who I were not seeing were in no danger.

 _Does that mean Alfonse is all right?_ I thought, and for one fleeting moment I almost hoped that he was no longer cursed and never had been in the first place. Then I remembered that the royalty usually didn't stay in the infirmary, and the cold, hard lump of fear dropped back in my stomach.

 _Calm down, he's fine_ , I told myself. _Forget Alfonse and check if anyone else is hurt._

Lucina, who was half-covered in bandages was receiving some healing from Genny while a healer's assistant was carefully smearing a cream over some nasty-looking burns on her arm and cheek. Chrom was soon by her side and quickly embraced and engaged in a conversation I couldn't hear.

Ike, looking slightly surly, had an arm in a sling and a heavily bandaged foot propped up on several pillows, and I felt slightly sorry for the poor healer's assistant, a young girl who couldn't be older than ten, that was tending him. I knew Ike had his best interests at heart, but he didn't have much patience when it came to recovering in the infirmary.

I spotted another father/child duo: Eliwood was sitting beside his son, Roy, and I mentally cringed at the sight of their endless bruises and bandages covering various parts of their bodies.

Sobbing caught my attention, and, stomach lurching unpleasantly, I turned and saw Amelia, looking tiny without her armor, desperately hugging Effie, who was looking uncharacteristically tired. Speaking to Amelia in a soft, soothing voice Effie wiped her tears away and Amelia nodded, tears still coursing down her cheeks.

I saw Reinhardt was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking unusually restless and I saw that Olwen was lying in the bed across from him. She seemed to be asleep, and I prayed that she was just that.

Gunnthrá, limping slightly, went to Reinhardt's side and placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. To my slight surprise he placed one of his hands over hers and his shoulders relaxed somewhat.

_I guess I'm not the only one "making friends" around here. Huh..._

Sothis was alone, but that didn't seem to bother her. She had a distant and thoughtful expression on her face, almost detached. Something told me she wasn't thinking of the recent battle.

I could see more Heroes, but they were just out of view. Fortunately for the first time I wasn't being fussed on in the infirmary, so I carefully slid out of bed, each and every muscle I had aching terribly. When I stood I was slightly dizzy for a few moments, but things soon evened out and I began to walk in tiny, careful steps.

All of the healers and their assistants were so absorbed with their patients that I walked by quite unnoticed, which was a first for me.

I spotted Azura and Camilla. They were both reclining in their beds but were propped up and were engaged in a casual conversation. Camilla was gesturing vaguely as she spoke, and once or twice Azura nodded as she listened.

I walked a bit further and what I saw made my heart ache. Both Corrins, who were heavily bandaged and lying unconscious in their beds, were being accompanied by both the Kanas, who were cuddling with their comatose parents, crying silently.

Nearby Marth and Mareeta were asleep, although their faces were somewhat twisted in obvious pain. Some of their bandages were stained scarlet.

 _What have I done?_ I thought, dismayed at everything I was seeing. 

A reassuring hand was placed on my shoulder, and for a moment I was certain that when I turned I would see Alfonse, standing and smiling, kindly asking if I was all right. Just as quickly as they had risen, my hopes plummeted when I only saw Ephraim.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," he said, and gently took me by the hand, and for a moment I was tempted to yank it away but I didn't and silently allowed him to guide me back to my bed. I must have been unusually quiet because Ephraim said, "Prince Alfonse is all right."

My head snapped up so fast I thought I tore a muscle. "He... He is?" I breathed, my fingertips sliding over my gaping mouth.

"Yes," Ephraim said, smiling reassuringly. "He's asleep in his quarters, but I expect he will be up within the next hour or so."

I gave an audible sigh of relief and placed my hands over my steadying heart. So he was all right...

Distant moaning and crying brought me back to my senses and my smile instantly dropped off my face as I grew sober and asked, "How...bad are things?" Not wishing to elaborate, I gestured around me.

Thankfully, Ephraim understood. "It...could be better," he confessed, and I winced. "The only ones who are still critical are both Corrins, Olwen, Marth and Mareeta, but they're receiving the best treatment possible."

I nodded numbly. I watched as Caeda rushed in, her eyes red and puffy. She was instantly at Marth's side and knelt by his bed and grabbed one of his limp hands and held it to her cheek, tears streaming down her face.

I could feel my throat constricting, and I held my hands over my mouth as I listened to the continued moaning, crying and consoling voices.

"Ephraim," I choked, my vision blurring with tears. "I _did_ this."

Ephraim gave me a look of sympathy, and more tears filled my eyes, threatening to spill. "You didn't do this, Kiran," he said. "Hel did this."

I just shook my head, unable to speak further. After taking a shuddering breath, I hastily wiped my eyes with the heels of my hands and said, "If you're looking for Myrrh, she's by Fae and Xander."

"Ah, thank you," Ephraim said, smiling at me gratefully. "Now if you excuse me..."

Now that I was without company I forced myself to lie down, where I stared blankly at the ceiling. I thought about the battle against Jörmungandr, which seemed so long ago. I thought about how the decision Alfonse had made had led to a similar outcome as this, and I was at a loss on how he had handled the whole thing.

Sighing, I pulled my blankets over my head and rolled to my side. I could feel the movement strain my bandages slightly, but I didn't care. Unable to bear the noises any further, I clamped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, curling into a fetal position.

I don't think I had ever felt this awful, in my entire time here as Summoner. There were some times before, but back then I had Alfonse. But now...

I sensed some presences approach at both sides of my bunk and I heard muffled voices, but I pretended not to hear them and squeezed my eyes tighter shut. But the voices are insistent, and when I continued to ignore them someone whipped my blankets off of me, and when I jerked up I saw Anna, Sharena and Alfonse all smiling at me. Anna was the one who had torn my blankets away.

For a moment I only stared at the three of them blankly, hardly daring to believe it.

Then the three of us are all embracing, Sharena half laughing, half crying. We're holding to each other tight, and at that moment, I knew things were going to be okay. We hugged for a few more heartbeats when we withdrew from each other, and I found my gaze involuntarily shift to Alfonse, who, although still slightly pale, looked otherwise completely unharmed.

He gave a weak smile, and I before I was about to throw my arms around him and kiss him until we were breathless, when anger suddenly surfaced, and I could feel it darken my face. Suddenly the warm atmosphere disappeared, and Anna and Sharena looked uncertainly at each other.

For a moment I was at a loss for words. If Alfonse had listened to his father--if he had listened to _me_ , then he wouldn't be...

"Er," Alfonse said, looking awkward, and I could tell he hadn't anticipated me to be angry. Only, I wasn't just angry. I was enraged. I was consumed by a swirling black cloud of fury, and it was only getting stronger.

Suddenly I didn't want to see Alfonse anymore. I stiffly turn away from him and fold my arms, seething in silence.

"Kiran..." He said tentatively, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder, which I coldly shrugged off.

Visibly anxious, Sharena forced a smile and asked in a tiny voice, "Maybe you two can hug now? Ooh, or kiss? Then everything will be happy again?"

Alfonse and I ignored her.

"Kiran, _please_ ," Alfonse pleaded, and I spun on my heels to glare at him and he visibly flinched.

"Er, guys?" Anna said, her voice low. "You realize everyone's staring, right?"

She was right. Everyone who was recovered enough to watch was observing me and Alfonse with varying states of interest, anxiety and curiosity. Even the manaketes had fallen silent to eavesdrop.

"You," I muttered to Alfonse, jabbing a finger in his direction. "Me. Outside. _Now_."

I could feel every single pair of eyes watch as me and Alfonse exited the hospital wing. If some of the patients weren't resting then I would have slammed the door with all my strength.

Thankfully, the corridor outside was empty.

Silently inhaling through my nose, I looked at Alfonse, who steadily met my blazing eyes.

"You're angry with me." It wasn't a question, but an observation.

For a moment all I could so was stare at him in numb disbelief. I then shook my head and chuckled humorlessly. "Alfonse, I'm not angry," I said. Just when he was visibly relaxing I snapped, "I'm... _livid_. Gods, Alfonse, I could just _grab_ you and--"

"Tear my head off?" Alfonse offered, and he had the audacity to smile.

" _Exactly_ ," I said, grinding my teeth. Then I blinked. "Wait, how did you know I would say that?"

Alfonse sighed in obvious amusement, and my anger returned again. "Because it looks like you're planning on doing it," he answered, and I refused to smile.

Another silence followed, and this time I dropped my gaze from his. I knew that if I continued to look at his handsome face and blue eyes, my anger would dissipate, and I didn't want that to happen. Not yet.

"Kiran," Alfonse said, his tone light and earnest. "I'm going to be fi--"

My hand acted before I could think. It swung out with speed I didn't know I possessed and struck Alfonse squarely on the cheek, causing his head to whip to the side. For a moment he stared at me in wide-eyed surprise, and slowly reached up a hand to touch his cheek, which was already bearing a red, hand-shaped mark.

The sudden realization on what I just done made me clap my hands to my mouth in horror and I dropped my head, my eyes filling with tears of regret. "Oh gods--I--I'm sorry," I choked. "I just--I mean--"

Much to my surprise, Alfonse laughed softly, and I looked up in surprise.

"It's okay," he said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I deserved that."

I shook my head, the tears in my eyes threatening to spill. "No, you didn't," I said heavily. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"It's okay," Alfonse said, and I knew from his tone that he really did think what I did was okay. "I know you hate it when I say things like that."

Suddenly unable to bear it any further I reached out and grabbed Alfonse by the collar to pull him close and I placed my lips over his. We kissed for several wonderful, sunshine filled heartbeats and we withdrew from each other.

"So I take it you forgive me?" He asked, the corners of his mouth twitching.

I gave him a measured look. "It's too early to tell."

Alfonse laughed again, and I could tell that he was unsure if I was joking or not. "Come," he said, taking my hand. "My father wants to speak to us."

 _Oh boy._ Something told me that my temporary rage would be nothing compared to the king's.


	14. Countdown

Alfonse and I continued to hold hands as we made way for the room where we had discussed tactics for our battle against Hel's forces. I could sense waves of joy emanating from Sharena and I had a feeling she had a far different opinion than her father's on my relationship with the prince of Askr.

Smile faltering somewhat, Sharena asked, "Alfonse... How are you holding up?"

I held my breath as I waited for his answer and he gave his younger sister a kind smile before saying, "I'm all right. I can move, at least."

At least? My insides shriveled with boiling hot shame and guilt and I gave his hand a small squeeze and muttered, "Again... I'm sorry for hitting you. You're already suffering, and..."

"It's okay, Kiran," Alfonse insisted, and Anna asked, "What are you two whispering about?"

Alfonse and I exchanged a side glance but before we could explain Sharena let out a rather melodramatic gasp and pointed at Alfonse's cheek and exclaimed, "Alfonse, what happened?"

Still shrinking with guilt I try to pull my hood over my face but came empty, reminding me that my brand new tactician's coat was already ruined. I made a mental note to apologize to Oboro.

As we were walking through the castle's corridors we met up with Eir, who was looking somewhat uncomfortable. When we caught her eye she dropped into a polite bow and murmured, "Prince Alfonse... How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right," Alfonse said, then grimaced and placed a hand over his heart, and we all tensed.

"I'm all right," he repeated, although his voice was noticeably strained this time. Failing to smile reassuringly he quietly added, "Yet a strange sensation remains... Like an icy blade has plunged into my chest." As he spoke I noticed he hadn't removed his hand from his chest, and I gave his hand another small squeeze.

"The curse of Hel," Eir said as we entered the room where we had our discussion for the tactics for the attempt to close Hel's borders. Before we took our seats Alfonse had turned his head to Eir, his blue eyes hardening with determination.

"Eir, please, tell me what you know," he said. "Anything might help."

Eir's head dropped as she took her seat, noticeably far from everyone else. "My mother's laws govern death..." she said, her voice just audible. "At the moment she lays her curse, the number of the dead is set. Those she has cursed will die on their appointed day. There is no escaping it..."

An icy fist had squeezed my heart, and Sharena desperately burst out, "No! There must-- There has to be-- Surely there's a way!"

"Alfonse," Anna said, who had been standing by the doorway. "The king and queen had arrived."

Queen Henriette entered first, her round, kindly face pinched with worry. "Oh, my son," she breathed. When Alfonse stood to greet her she pulled him into a tight embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. For the briefest moment Alfonse tightly hugged her back, then gently pulled away to greet his father.

King Gustav's face was impassive. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as we waited for him to speak, and when he did his voice was soft, but as hard as stone.

"So you have been cursed by Hel."

Alfonse's face dropped, looking uncharacteristically ashamed and said, "I disobeyed Father... I am sorry."

King Gustav said nothing and merely looked down at his son, the unreadable expression on his weathered, scarred face unwavering.

Tentatively, Anna spoke. "If I may, your majesty... The attack was sudden. Our scouts never ever saw her. They appeared suddenly, like ghosts... We had no chance to disengage.."

"Your mistake was setting foot on the battlefield at all," Gustav said without looking away from his oldest child. "This is the consequence of Alfonse's rashness."

I saw Alfonse give the tiniest flinch, and he whispered, "Father... I'm so sorry."

Another tense silence ensued, and in my peripheral vision I noticed that Eir was looking away from the scene, and I honestly didn't blame her.

Gesturing for Alfonse to take a seat, Gustav said, "Hel... She claimed my father's life, too."

I snuck a glance at Sharena and Alfonse to see what their reaction was at the mention of their deceased grandfather. Sharena looked startled, but Alfonse was still hanging his head, his face concealed in shadow.

"There are no options left, Alfonse," Gustav said, and he slowly placed a hand on Alfonse's shoulder, and he almost seemed to sag under its weight. "There is no escaping her curse."

"Gustav!" Henriette gasped angrily, protectively pulling Alfonse away from his father. "This is our son's life we're talking about!"

"Henriette, please, listen," Gustav said to his wife, his expression softening by the tiniest fraction. Turning to nod at everyone he added, "All of you must listen to what I say now. The royal family of Askr, our family, has suffered a loss. We must accept that and move forward."

"No," I said without thinking. Everyone turned to me and waited for me to elaborate, but I soon found that I couldn't find the words to express the silent rage I was feeling.

Then Sharena spoke up, her voice trembling. "Father! You can't mean that! Alfonse is alive! He's right here beside you!" She said shrilly, frantically gesturing to where Alfonse stood. "There must be something we can do..." Her voice broke, and she said no more.

Gustav, however, was unwavering. "Death will not be turned away."

"We can't know unless we try!" Sharena fiercely insisted, angry tears sparkling in her emerald-green eyes.

"Enough," Gustav said, his voice sharpening. "I will rejoin my forces. I must consider our next move."

Sharena winced as if she had been slapped. "Father..."

Alfonse, who had been sitting as still and silent as a statue, raised his head and spoke up. "I have failed you, Father." His ashamed expression had vanished and his face was now calm and stern with determination and resolve. "I am sorry. But until the moment I die, I will continue to seek the means of defeating Hel. My only hope is that, in the time I have left, I can find some way to be of use."

Alfonse was looking expectantly at his father, and I knew that he was seeking approval for his quick adaptation and his solemn vow. However, Gustav merely grunted, "Very well," and turned and left his son in his wake.

I could practically feel my heart break at the stunned and hurt expression on Alfonse's face.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Word of Alfonse's fate had spread quickly, and it enraged me that everyone was now practically giving the prince their condolences. Surprisingly, I myself was almost receiving as much sympathetic attention as the prince, and it only made me angrier.

Soon after the king left Henriette embraced her son again, and to my surprise, me. For a moment I stiffened in surprise but soon tightly hugged her back, a bittersweet warmth rising in my heart.

"Thank you, Kiran," the queen breathed in my ear, "for everything."

I merely nodded, knowing that if I spoke I would cry and never stop. Henriette also embraced Sharena and Anna and gave Eir a watery smile, which Eir did not return.

After Alfonse and Sharena's mother had left Alfonse said in an unusually small voice, "It's getting late. It's best we all get some rest."

You especially! I wanted to point out, but I held myself back and merely nodded while in actuality I had no plans on sleeping tonight. Right before we parted ways I tried to catch Alfonse's eye but he briskly said, "Good night, Kiran," before walking away from me in an unusual brisk pace.

Slightly stung, I instantly made my way for the castle's library, arms full of candles, ink and parchment. As I quickly made my way through the castle, I saw through the windows that the moon was rising and the sky was full of stars. Knowing full well my body was going to regret this in the morning, I entered the abandoned library and found a nice and cozy corner to work.

Nine days, I thought feverishly as I scanned through the endless shelves of books, novels and tomes. Nine days is plenty. We still have time.

I then started my plan to save Alfonse's life.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

We must accept that and move forward.

His father's words ringing in his ears, Alfonse thought about Kiran as he made his way through the castle corridors. True to his word, he had offered to join the night patrols that would pace through the entire castle to ensure things were safe as everyone slept for the night.

Oh Kiran, Alfonse thought miserably and absentmindedly touched the cheek that she had struck, still faintly tender. He supposed he should have expected her to be angry, but he had subconsciously taken advantage of her warmth and easily-earned forgiveness. That slap told him otherwise. Never in his life did Alfonse ever remember being struck so viciously by a girl. He had some past quarrels with Sharena when they were children, but those hardly counted.

The look in Kiran's eyes caught when she slapped him caught Alfonse off guard. Never before had he seen such a fierce look on her usually kindly face. It was her eyes that startled him. They were blazing with rage he never thought Kiran had possessed, and for a fleeting moment he genuinely appreciated that Kiran was a member of The Order of Heroes and not an enemy.

Alfonse then remembered the raw power and strength Kiran imposed while using that unfamiliar spell with her tome, Ilmr's Fury. Had he been in better condition, he would have greatly admired her spellsmanship. His awe soon turned to fear however, when Hel mentioned that she had bound her soul to the spell... Alfonse was startled Kiran had resorted to using such a dangerous spell.

The torch that Alfonse was carrying was casting ghostly shadows that flickered eerily, and he smiled to himself as he remembered how frightened he was as a child to wander the castle grounds at night. Back then he had a great fear of ghosts--and the undead, he suddenly remembered, halting in his steps. Giving a small shake of his head Alfonse continued patrolling and wondered how he would have handled the war against Hel as a small boy.

I would be terrified, he thought, and pictured himself as a child again, cowering in his mother's arms as she gently stroked his back and spoke to him in a soft, soothing voice.

There's nothing to be afraid of, his mother would tell him, wiping his frightened tears away with a warm smile. Remember, ghosts and monsters are more afraid of your father than you're afraid of them, so as long as he's here, we'll be safe.

Alfonse sighed as he rounded a corner, ignoring the chilling heaviness in his heart. Earlier, when his mother embraced him so tenderly, a tiny part of him wanted to hear her old reassurances that his father would protect him and his sister and that he had nothing to fear about, but those times had long passed.

Although that didn't mean that it was any less disappointing at his father's indifference to his generous offer to help as much as he could in his final days. Ever since he had joined The Order of Heroes, Alfonse had been desperate to earn his father's approval once more, but so far each attempt had been futile.

Alfonse suddenly realized that he had subconsciously walked to the corridor where Kiran slept. He wondered if she was asleep yet, and was about to knock on her door when he realized that her door was still open. Wary, Alfonse peered in and raised his torch to get a better view of things and saw that her bed was vacated and the room had an uninhabited chill to it.

Where could she be? Alfonse thought, feeling a pang of concern. He supposed that he should have been warmer to her when they parted ways, but he was unable to meet her eyes when she was looking at him hopefully. I suppose she's still angry with me, he thought, sighing again.

Closing the door to Kiran's room, Alfonse turned and continued his nightly patrol and saw the approaching light of another torch-bearer. When he reached the other person he saw that it was Ephraim, who gave him a look of mild surprise, but instead if asking if he was okay or reminding him that he should be resting, he blinked and asked, "Ah, Prince Alfonse, do you know where Kiran is?"

"No," Alfonse said, feeling that anxious prick again. "I had only just realized she's not in her sleeping corridors."

"Yes, I also noticed that," Ephraim said, his forehead creasing. "You don't suppose she left the castle?"

"No, I don't think so," Alfonse said, feeling a tiny prickle of indignation that Ephraim had noticed Kiran's disappearance first. 

"Hmm," Ephraim said, and Alfonse wondered if he sensed his annoyance. "Shall we conjure a search party to find her?"

Alfonse shook his head. "No, not yet," he said. "She's probably around here somewhere."

"All right, then," Ephraim said uncertainly, although Alfonse could tell he was just humoring him. "Well, good night Prince Alfonse."

"Good night, Prince Ephraim."

As they parted ways a new thought occurred to Alfonse. He was aware that Ephraim had made constant efforts in the past to bond with Kiran, before he had started his romantic relationship with her. He then realized that, after those nine days, Kiran would be single.

An uncomfortable bitterness filled Alfonse's mind, but he quickly dismissed it and told himself he was being selfish. Kiran is perfectly liable to date as she pleases, he reminded himself, although even then it was still a sour concept to think about. The sight of Kiran's arms around a faceless stranger (or even worse, someone Alfonse knew and well-liked), and he shoved away the jealousy that tightened his stomach.

Stop that, Alfonse scolded himself. As long as they make Kiran happy, you should have no problems with Kiran seeing other people.

And just like that, the jealousy vanished, and he was relieved.

Hours passed in peaceful silence, yet Kiran was nowhere to be found. Beginning to grow genuinely uneasy, Alfonse began instructing anyone he encountered in his patrol and search for Kiran and to contact him as soon as she was found.

Just when the sky was lightening with signs of dawn approaching, a soft sound caught Alfonse's attention. It was so soft that he briefly wondered if he imagined it. Yet he followed the sound, barely audible over silence and found himself at the entrance to the library where the sound was the most noticeable--the soft sleepy sound of someone snoring.

"Alfonse?" Alfonse turned and saw his mother approach him, already dressed for the day despite the the fact that the sun hadn't fully risen yet.

"Good morning, Mother," he said and smiled at her. Queen Henriette smiled back, although it was a little tense and asked quietly, "Any word on Kiran?"

"I think I found her," Alfonse said, gesturing at the library's doors behind him. There was a small silence where Henriette heard the soft snuffly breathing, and she smiled gently with understanding.

Holding a finger to his lips, Alfonse opened the door and lo and behold, in the coziest corner of the library was Kiran, who was fast asleep on the desk she had been using. Alfonse and his mother reached her in silence, watching her.

Her hair gracefully pooled around her head in swirls on the desktop and Alfonse felt a smile tug at his lips when he saw that she had accidentally tipped over her bottle of ink and it had spread across the parchment she had been writing on, soaking into her hair where it had been touching. A touch of drool was leaking out of the corner of her mouth. Whenever she exhaled her breath would stir a lock of hair in front of her mouth.

Forgetting his mother was here, Alfonse had the robes that he had been wearing to keep himself warm and gently draped them over Kiran's slumped shoulders. She shifted slightly for a moment, yawned, and began to dreamily suck on a lock of hair that was in her mouth as she fell into a deeper sleep.

"You must love her very much."

Suddenly remembering his mother's presence, Alfonse turned and realized that she had seen the tender gesture. For a moment Alfonse hesitated, then nodded silently. Out of everyone he knew, his mother was the person he was most comfortable discussing with on his personal feelings for Kiran.

"I can see why," Henriette murmured, gently sliding her fingertips across Kiran's cheek so the lock of hair would slide out of her mouth and she would stop chewing on it. "She's a wonderful young lady."

Alfonse nodded again and continued to watch the woman he loved so dearly sleep peacefully. He was longing to hold her in his arms and feel her warmth and presence, but he restrained himself.

"Alfonse," Henriette said, and Alfonse turned to see that his mother's eyes were sparkling with tears. "Were you planning on marrying her?"

This question caught Alfonse by surprise. If he were to be honest he never really saw marriage in his future, although if he were asked and if he were to answer honestly, he would happily take Kiran to be his wife.

But that was impossible now.

Realizing that his mother was still waiting for his answer, Alfonse nodded a third time.

"Oh, Alfonse," Henriette whispered and pulled her son in for an embrace. Alfonse instantly hugged her back, knowing that this might be his very last time.

"Mother?" Alfonse asked, trying to stop the constriction that was tightening in his throat.

"What is it, love?"

Alfonse closed his eyes and hugged his mother tighter. "After I'm gone," he whispered, "will you make sure Kiran is safe...and cared for?"

"Of course," Henriette murmured, running her hand down the back of Alfonse's head. "I will love and treat her as if she were my own daughter."

Alfonse gave a shuddery sigh and breathed, "Thank you." He knew that if he spoke further he would unleash all of his carefully pent-up emotion and he didn't want anyone to see that happen to Askr's future king.


	15. Chapter 15

I jerked awake with a start, the parchment that I had been using sticking to one of my cheeks. I blearily brushed it off and stretched my arms and gaped my jaws in a yawn. I felt something warm and soft slide off my back and I saw that someone's night cloak had fallen off my back and onto the floor.

That's when it finally hit me.

 _I fell asleep!_ I realized, dismayed, and I moaned in anger and frustration. All of those hours I could have used, _wasted_!

 _Eight days left_ , I told myself. _Eight days._ _That's just a little over a week, and a week is a long time. There's still plenty of time to find a cure for Alfonse's curse and to save his life. No need to panic!_

Deciding to go over everything I worked on last night I was horrified to see that everything I had written was soaked in midnight-black ink. I distractedly touched my cheek where the parchment had clung and I realized that my face and hair was sticky with still-drying ink.

Angry, I gathered the remains of my studies and dumped them all into the rubbish bin. Hardly noticing that I had put the mysterious cloak on, I stormed out of the library, feeling my stained hair drying into stiff bunches. I had only just barely exited the library when I bumped into Anna.

"Oop, sorry Kiran," she said. She then spotted the ink on my face and hair and gave an unexpectedly sympathetic smile. "You gave everyone quite the fright, disappearing like that."

I blinked, uncomprehending.

"You went missing after the meeting with the king and queen?" Anna prompted. "Everyone assumed you went off to bed, but when they found your room empty things got a little crazy. Luckily Alfonse and the queen found you several hours ago and told everyone."

"Oh," I said in a small voice, and I dropped my gaze to my feet. "I'm sorry..."

"Oh, there's no need to apologize!" Anna said dismissively. Face softening, she added, "How did your studying go? Did you find anything that could help Alfonse?"

I shook my head. Some of my hair that was hanging in front of my face had merged into stiff, drying locks, and I vaguely wondered how hard it was to wash ink out of hair. I would have to ask Camilla when I had the chance.

"That's okay," Anna said reassuringly. "Go have some breakfast and wash up, I'm calling for a meeting this afternoon, so try to be there."

I nodded and shrugged the cloak tighter on. It smelled like pine needles and lavender, the wonderfully fresh aroma I caught sometimes when I was around Alfonse. Hoping he wasn't going to ask for it back, adjusted the cloak on even tighter, secretly enjoying the smell.

"Ah, Kiran!"

Too sleepy to be startled, I blinked sleepily at Ephraim who had spotted me and quickly approached me. His hair looked greener than usual, with the morning sunshine glowing onto his head. It was pretty. He looked relieved to see me but stopped short when he got close, and I realized he noticed all of the ink on my hair and face.

Clearly suppressing a smile, he said, "You look like you worked hard last night."

I gave him an " _it's too early for this_ " look, but nodded tiredly.

"Why don't you go wash up?" Ephraim suggested, this time unable to hide a smile. For a moment he reached out as if to wipe some ink off my face, but he changed his mind last second and his arm made an odd jerking sensation.

Pretending not to notice, I nodded again and walked away. I know it was a little rude, but I honestly didn't care at the moment. All I cared about was getting the ink out of my hair and filling my growling stomach, and for a few moments I contemplated on which to do first.

"Are you all right, Kiran?" Ephraim had asked, and I realized he started following me. "If you're feeling ill, I can walk you to the hospital wing. You might want those bandages checked."

 _Oh, Ephraim_ , I thought sadly. _You try so hard_...

Keen on ridding me of his presence, I shook my head and gave him a small smile and said, "That's all right, thank you for your concern. I'm actually heading off for the woman's bathhouse."

"Oh, right," Ephraim said, somewhat awkwardly. "I will leave you to that then."

Feeling slightly guilty, I continued my walk and saw that Eirika, Ephraim's twin sister, who had been watching from afar, join me.

"I'm sorry about him," she said quietly with a slight cringe. "He just... _really_ likes you."

"I know," I said, smiling a little sadly. "He's really sweet, but..." My voice trailed off, and I found it slightly too awkward to directly say to Ephraim's sister that I didn't have any interest in him. Thankfully she got the message and took it in stride.

"I've been _telling_ him that," she said, glancing at me as we continued to walk through the castle. "But each time I do he insists that he has no romantic feelings for you, but I'm starting to think that even _Alfonse_ suspects my brother has feelings for you."

"Oh," I said, blushing. The last thing I wanted was to be the center of a love triangle.

"It's fine," Eirika assured. Her face softening, she added, "I'll make sure he'll stay out of your and Alfonse's hair." _For the time you have left_ , her tone seemed to add.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, although I knew that that was unnecessary. I knew that Ephraim, despite caring for me deeply, also respected my relationship with Alfonse and knew when to leave the two of us alone.

 _I wonder how much pain it causes him to see me with Alfonse_ , I wondered with a sad little pang to my heart. I was telling the truth when I said Ephraim was sweet, and while he was incredibly handsome, he just wasn't the one for me.

I soon reached the entrance to the woman's bathhouse where Eirika and I parted ways. I suddenly realized that I didn't bring any fresh clothes to change into when I saw Camilla round the corner, holding a bundle of clean clothes.

"I heard you recently woke up," she said, and she offered the outfit to me with a gentle smile.

For a moment I was afraid that it was going to be one of her skimpy outfits, but I was relieved to see that it was one of my casual outfits that I wore when I wasn't wearing my tactician's clothing.

"Thanks, Camilla," I said gratefully, accepting the clothes.

"It's no problem," Camilla said earnestly. Then, in a more delicate tone, "How are you holding up?" Her gorgeous face was so concerned for me that I felt the dangerous stinging in my eyes and I said in a forcefully bright tone, "I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

"Wonderful," Camilla beamed, although I could tell I failed to convince her. "I'll make sure your bath will go undisturbed. Take your time, Kiran."

I nodded tensely, and Camilla, noticing her fussing was making me upset gave me a playful poke on the nose and added, "Because that ink won't come out easily, darling!"

Smiling gratefully, I nodded in acknowledgement and entered the bathhouse, which was as steamy and inviting as ever. I stripped off my stained clothing and slowly descended into my favorite pool. 

For a few moments my half-healed cuts and scrapes violently stung in protest, but the hot water soon drew away the pain and began to work on my muscles and their rock-hard knots. I scooted to the deeper end of the water where it came up to my chin, and I absently watched my hair float around my head, watching the ink dissolve out of the stained locks.

It was remarkable to think that almost 24-hours ago I had been in this exact room with a crowd of girls, chatting and gossiping with little cares to the world. It almost felt like a lifetime ago. More than that, even.

This time, though, I was alone and I was wordless with gratitude for Camilla's thoughtfulness. Knowing that the meeting wouldn't be for another four hours I made myself comfortable and found myself drifting off as I soaked in the clean, hot bathwater.

" _Thrasir_."

" _Líf_."

Two figures gradually came into view of the darkness, and there was a tense sort of expectancy in the atmosphere between them. Líf had rested his clasped hands on the hilt of his sword, _Sökkvabekkr_.

" _How much time does he have left_?" Thrasir asked, her scarlet eyes glittering with a carefully concealed emotion.

" _Eight days_ ," Líf grunted, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

" _That soon_?" Thrasir asked, surprised. Then, in a more tentative voice, " _How do you feel_?"

Líf was silent as he thought about this. " _It is hard to believe,_ " he confessed. " _We have been waiting for so long...to think that the time is finally near_..."

" _And what of Kiran_?" Thrasir inquired, tilting her head curiously. " _Do you have any plans for her, or shall I do the job_?"

Líf was silent again, and after a long pause he growled, " _Do what you please with her. But_..." His voice softened as he added, " _Make it quick_."

Thrasir nodded, an odd look in her eye. " _I will_ ," she promised, her tone noticeably tenser. If Líf noticed, he gave no sign. He had a faraway look in his eyes as he murmured to himself, " _Alfonse...I refuse you to stop me from achieving my goals. Nothing will stop me_." Then, noticing Thrasir was staring intently at him, he quietly added, " _Nothing will stop_ us _from destroying Askr._ " 

Thrasir nodded. " _Nothing_ ," she whispered.

My eyes flew open, and I nearly slipped off my seat and fell into the water as I jerked awake. For a moment I was expecting sinister company nearby, but then remembered where I was and what I was doing, and I quickly calmed down.

I sleepily rubbed my eyes and tried to remember what I had dreamed of, but the last fading images of my dream had already faded away. All I knew was that it was far from a good dream.

Unsure how much time had passed during my unexpected nap, I quickly patted my cheeks to make myself more awake and started the job of cleaning the writing ink out of my hair and off of my skin which was, as Camilla warned, harder than I had dreaded.

After over twenty minutes of vigorously scrubbing my skin was raw and pink, but thankfully clear of any remains of the black, sticky substance. I finished my bath and when I was towel-drying myself, I noticed something unpleasant in the mirror.

I was a shade paler than I normally was and there were lilac circles under my eyes, which had an exhausted droopiness to them. _I guess I didn't get as much sleep as I originally thought_ , I mused with an unconcerned shrug. Oh well. Small sacrifices had to be made in order to find a cure for Alfonse's curse.

I changed into the clean clothes Camilla had given me and when I left the bathhouse I saw that Camilla was still waiting, as patient and loyal as ever. I was worried she would scold me for taking so much time but she merely pulled a comb out of nowhere and began to brush it through my damp, still dripping hair.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, working through a knot of tangles with noticeable gentleness and I felt another warm rush of gratitude for the princess of Nohr.

I gave a small shrug. "Better than Alfonse, I'm sure," I said, and stretched my arms and yawned, savoring the sensation.

Camilla gave a sigh as she ran her fingertips through my now silky sheet of hair. "That poor boy shoulders too much responsibility," she said softly. "Did you hear that he spent the entire night patrolling the castle corridors so some of the guards can rest?"

"Oh, Alfonse," I moaned and hung my head. The last thing he should be doing was overworking himself and not getting any sleep.

"I worry about him sometimes," Camilla confessed, beginning to braid my hair with deft, slender fingers. When she continued speaking, her voice had warmed considerably. "Although I suppose with _you_ on his case, he's in good hands."

I sighed softly through my nose, disturbing some lock of hairs that were hanging in front of my face. "If he was in good hands under my care, he wouldn't have been cursed in the first place."

" _Kiran_ ," Camilla scolded, giving a lock of hair a stern tug. "That is _not_ true and you know it. Everyone knows you're not the boss of the prince and he's perfectly liable to make his own decisions, regardless if they're rash and foolish or not."

"I suppose that's true," I muttered, feeling a prickle of annoyance at the realization on how reckless and brash Alfonse could be sometimes.

"There," Camilla said, giving the crown of my head a little pat in satisfaction. I reached for my hair and felt that she had woven my hair into a braid crown and there wasn't a single hair loose or out of place. "Hopefully this will draw attention away from those miserable bags under your eyes."

I sighed, ignoring the tightness on my scalp unpleasantly tender, although I was unsure if it was the aftermath of Jörmungandr's cruelty or if my hair was just not used to being tied this tightly. Whatever the case may be, it better be worth it because I was already sick of people fussing over me.

"Hey Camilla," I said as Camilla pulled out a bottle of hairspray (where _does_ she keep this stuff?) and began to spray my hair in little, deliberate puffs. "How long was I in the bath?"

"Oh, not that long," Camilla said unconcernedly, giving the bottle a quick shake. "Maybe half an hour?"

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I fell asleep, though."

"Then I'm afraid it wasn't much of a nap," Camilla said sadly, giving my hair small pokes and prods to check if she added enough spray. "Doesn't surprise me, darling, because no offense, but you look terrible. Not _that_ terrible, though," she added, looking at her handiwork in pride. 

"Thanks," I muttered, rubbing my itching eyes. Ugh, I really _was_ tired. I wondered if Mikoto had any herbal teas that would give me the energy I needed to get through the day.

"It's no problem, Kir," Camilla said fondly. "Now why don't you grab some breakfast and take a little nap? That tired look just doesn't suit you."

"Mhmm," I mumbled, swallowing back a yawn, although I had no plans on wasting any more time on sleep. Breakfast did sound appealing though. One of the few things keeping me awake was my growling belly.

"Eat something healthy," Camilla suggested, a knowing glint in her eyes. "I know you have a particularly strong sweet tooth, but you need to keep yourself healthy!"

"Mm," I said distractedly, already imagining the freshly-baked glazed sweet bun I was going to have. The bakers in the castle's kitchen knew they were my favorite and often had a few dozen ready in the morning several times a week.

" _Healthy_ , Kiran!" Camilla called bossily to my retreating back as I left for the dining area where all of the Heroes had their breakfasts. "I know you're thinking of one of those sugar-filled sweet buns! Think of your _waistline_!"

Much to my pleasure, I saw a steaming tray on the buffet-style table that held all of the breakfast the Heroes ate, ranging from vats of oatmeal and porridge, stacks of toast with half a dozen different jams and marmalades, tureens of eggs, bacon and sausage, tilting towers of pancakes and french toast oozing with glazes and syrups, large crystal bowls overflowing with a different variety of fruits, and much more. There were large glass pitchers full of milk, fresh water and orange juice.

Unfortunately it was a little crowded as this was the most popular time for everyone to have their morning meal, and I watched apprehensively as the pile of fresh sweet buns was gradually diminishing as the line passed by. My panic increased when by the time I reached the table there was only three left, and I moaned in dismay when they were taken by Gaius, Laevatein and Myrrh. There was one brief moment where I could have taken the last one but I left it for Myrrh, still feeling guilty of her injury from Hel and she walked away, already happily licking the icing off.

Now that there weren't any sweet buns I glumly looked at the food-loaded table, my appetite suddenly gone. Miserably glancing at the empty tray, I resisted the urge to mournfully lick the glazy residue on the silver platter. Heaving a gusty sigh I finally heeded Camilla's advice and grabbed an apple and some clementines.

Not keen on any social interaction I dropped into an empty seat at an abandoned table and sadly looked at my near empty plate. Groaning I folded my arms on the table and rested my head on them, sadly gazing at the emerald-green fruit and several small oranges.

Suddenly, something miraculous happened.

A still-warm sweet bun had dropped from the heavens and landed neatly on my plate with a hearty plop, and my jaw dropped open in awe. Hardly daring to believe it I looked up and saw Alfonse, looking amused at my reaction. He too was holding a plate of breakfast food and had his own sticky bun.

"I knew there wouldn't be any left by the time you reached the table, so I grabbed one for you," he explained, taking the vacant seat across from me.

For a moment all I could do was stare at the sticky bun then at Alfonse in mute disbelief. To my embarrassment I could feel my eyes stinging with tears of joy as I tenderly picked it up and sank my teeth into its soft, chewy goodness.

"You have _no_ idea how much I appreciate this," I moaned thickly, still chewing as I savored the sugary sweet wonder that is the sticky bun. _Hadn't I been annoyed with him a little earlier?_ I tried to remember why I had been angry with him in the past but all of my thoughts were consumed with the delicious baked treat.

Alfonse smiled. "I figured it would make your morning."

"It did," I sighed happily. I finished my unexpected treat in several more huge mouthfuls and swallowed it in ecstasy. My eyes then drifted to the sticky bun on Alfonse's plate, and he noticed and pulled his plate protectively closer to him.

Looking wary, he picked up his sticky bun and said, "You should eat your fruit. My mother always said--"

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yeah," I said, licking the remaining glaze off of my fingers. I picked up the apple and eyed it disinterestedly and dropped it back on my plate. Eyes flicking up to the sticky bun Alfonse was about to take a bite of I leaned across the table.

For a moment Alfonse looked at me in surprise like he was expecting me to kiss him but my aim dropped and I took a huge bite of the pastry, still being clutched in his hand.

" _Kiran_!" He complained, and I withdrew, chewing with flourish.

"Yum, yum, yum," I said, and Alfonse shook his head but smiled.

He didn't let me take another bite after that.


	16. Chapter 16

Now that Alfonse managed to get back on Kiran's good side there was a lot less tension in the air. He was thrilled on how easy it was to put her back in good spirits. He knew that those sticky buns were, as Kiran put it, "one of her most favoritest things in the world" would run out before she reached them, so he was careful to be several minutes early for breakfast.

Sure enough, by the time Kiran reached the table, they were gone. There was a fleeting moment where Alfonse was worried she would take the last bun away from Myrrh (he wouldn't put her past it) but relaxed when she allowed the injured manakete the sugary treat.

Kiran was looking very pretty this morning, Alfonse couldn't help but notice. Her hair was braided in a neat crown on her head, but that didn't hide the fact that she was clearly exhausted, and he felt a small pang of concern at the sight of her slightly pale complexion and heavy bags under her dull eyes, and Alfonse made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

Kiran was looking very miserable when she took her seat, and it was extremely satisfying to drop the bun on her plate and watch her gloomy expression instantly light up. It was times like this when Alfonse appreciated how childlike Kiran could sometimes be.

And as Alfonse had hoped, his plan was a success. Kiran had no trace of the anger he had seen in her eyes previously, and his breakfast was pleasantly relaxed. At least, until Kiran suddenly leaned across the table towards him. For one confusing moment Alfonse thought she was going to kiss him, her expression becoming dreamy as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth--only to take a huge bite out of his sticky bun.

" _Kiran_!" He complained, but found he couldn't stay annoyed when he watched Kiran chew in bliss and say, "Yum, yum, yum." Alfonse remembered Sharena used to say the same thing as a child.

Sometimes Alfonse forgot that Kiran was the revered and fabled Legendary Summoner and more saw her as a little girl to scold and look after. Those were some of the moments he cherished the most with her.

Upon closer inspection Kiran looked more tired than she did from afar. As he ate his breakfast, Alfonse began to notice small things that told him Kiran also didn't have much sleep last night. Her eyes were slightly puffy and bloodshot and she seemed to be blinking more than usual. She had a speck of ink on the tip of her nose that she missed when washing, and Alfonse debated whether he would tell her that or not. Suspecting that it would only annoy her, he decided to refrain from doing it. Best keep her in a good mood.

Careful to prevent Kiran from stealing any more bites, Alfonse licked some icing that was trickling down his thumb and said, "You need to eat something healthy for breakfast, Kiran. At least eat the apple."

Kiran looked down at it and frowned. A distracted look misted her eyes, and Kiran rested her head on her folded arms, her unfocused eyes still gazing at the apple.

"Do you need it cut?" Alfonse offered, speaking mostly to see if Kiran was still mentally present.

She said nothing but reached out a finger and absently rolled the apple side-to-side, and Alfonse was unsure if she even heard him or not.

Suddenly Camilla dropped by, holding a bowl of yogurt topped with freshly sliced fruit. She winked at Alfonse, and he felt his face heat up at the memory of their last conversation that was held in the women's bathhouse.

"You two look like you're enjoying yourselves," she said, glancing at Alfonse carefully finish the last of his sticky bun and at Kiran who was now twisting the stem off her apple, now looking positively sleepy. Camilla suddenly wrapped an arm around Kiran and gently grasped her face so she was directly facing Alfonse. "Didn't I make her the cutest this morning?"

"Yes, you did," Alfonse earnestly replied before he could stop himself. He looked at Kiran, expecting her to turn red and shy, but she hardly seemed to notice Camilla was even there. So _that_ confirmed that Kiran definitely wasn't mentally present.

"Hmm, that reminds me," Camilla said, withdrawing her arm and giving Alfonse an unexpectedly stern look. "I don't want either of you pushing yourselves too hard, you hear me?"

"Mhmm," Kiran murmured, her eyes flickering closed.

"Thank you for the concern, Camilla," Alfonse said, smiling at her patiently. "I will be sure to keep it in mind."

Kiran said nothing, her eyes still closed.

"Well, I'll leave you two in peace," Camilla said, giving Kiran one last fond glance before leaving. As she passed Alfonse she gave his hair a playful ruffle, and Alfonse was now understanding why some of the younger Heroes thought of Camilla as an older sister figure.

When Alfonse turned back to Kiran he was hardly surprised to see that she was once again sound asleep in a near identical position to the one when he found her in earlier in the morning. For a moment he was uncertain what to do. Let her sleep? Wake her up? Carry her to her sleeping quarters?

"Kiran?" He asked uncertainly, and she let out a little snuffle of response. Fearing that the others would begin to notice soon, Alfonse reached out and gave her a gentle shake. "Kiran?"

"Mmm," she hummed, shifting to a more comfortable position.

" _Kiran_ ," Alfonse said, slightly raising his voice. He gave her another little jostle, and to his relief she slowly opened her eyes, looking somewhat confused. "Hngh?" She asked, raising her head.

"You fell asleep," Alfonse pointed out, trying not to laugh.

Suddenly Kiran's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over with a noisy clatter. " _Again_?" She gasped, looking mortified. "How long was I out?"

Looking at her clearly exhausted but still panicky expression Alfonse hesitantly replied, "Not long, but I think this means you should get some sleep."

"No, no I can't," Kiran said feverishly, shaking her head. "I have to... I have to..."

"Go to bed," Alfonse said, but Kiran shook her head again.

"No, no, no," she said, a slightly mad look creeping across her face. "There's still time! I can still do it!" Expression suddenly hardening Kiran gave an unexpectedly fierce glare and she indignantly added, "Just you watch! I can do it!"

"I know you can," Alfonse said soothingly, although he honestly had no idea on what she was talking about. "But you can do it after a nap."

"No, I _can't_!" Kiran wailed, and Alfonse was alarmed at the sudden change of mood. "I can't! There's no time! But there is time if I start now! If I don't take any breaks, I should be finished by the day after tomo--"

"Whoa there," Alfonse said, thoroughly alarmed now. Suspecting Kiran was talking about his countdown to Hel's curse he sternly added, "Kiran, you need sleep. If you want to do it, you're going to need all of the strength and energy you can get."

"Good point," Kiran breathlessly pointed out. Just before Alfonse could relax that Kiran finally saw his point she wondered audibly, "Do you think Mikoto has any teas or coffees that will give me enough energy?"

Knowing most certainly that she did Alfonse quickly said, "Let's not bother Mikoto right now. Let's go up to your sleeping quarters--"

"But I _can't_ go there!" Kiran insisted, getting more visibly agitated. "I'll fall asleep again if I do!"

"That's exactly _why_ you should go," Alfonse said, beginning to grow truly exasperated. "Come on, I'll walk you there."

For a moment he thought she was going to argue, but she heaved a gusty sigh and gave a tiny nod without looking him in the eye. Suspicious of this sudden compliance, Alfonse wondered if it would be a good idea to station guards outside her door.

Kiran was so tired that she was nodding off where she was standing and Alfonse quickly went to her side, ready to catch her if she were to fall over. Feeling suddenly protective, he gently shepherded her to her sleeping quarters. Kiran was steadily falling further and further behind until at one point she finally slumped to the floor and was trying to curl up on the floor to sleep like a cat.

"Kiran," Alfonse said, unable to hold back a smile. He knelt beside her and gave her shoulder a little shake, but she feebly shook her head and mumbled something about "five more finutes." Unfortunately he was unable to get her awake enough to guide her to her bed, so, puffing slightly, Alfonse lifted her up and shifted his grip so she was riding on his back, her head resting on his shoulders.

There was still another flight of steps, and Alfonse felt another chilly stab in his chest and he grimaced. Ignoring the icy throbbing, he continued up the stairs and was slightly self-conscious at the stares he was receiving. The girl Heroes whispered to their friends and giggled and there were multiple choruses of "aww"s. To Alfonse's relief someone scolded them and told them to be quiet and not wake Kiran. Things quickly turned awkward, though, when Alfonse realized it was Ephraim.

There was a somewhat tense pause as Ephraim watched Kiran sleep, then to Alfonse. For a moment Alfonse feared there would be resentment in the twin's eyes, but when he met eyes with Ephraim there was only warm fondness, although there was a somewhat sad smile on his lips.

"I'll be sure everyone will stay quiet on this floor so Kiran won't be awoken," Ephraim said, and Alfonse smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Prince Ephraim," he said, and Ephraim quickly said, "Oh, it's no trouble." 

Another silence ensued, this one only slightly less awkward. Then, looking more than eager to break the silence, Ephraim said, "I'll go spread the word."

"Yes, thank you," Alfonse said again, feeling a twinge of guilt as Ephraim's sad smile returned on his final glance at Kiran. Alfonse genuinely liked the Prince of Renais, but disliked the awkwardness between them when it came to Kiran.

Thankfully he finally reached Kiran's room and opened the door, causing light to flood into the uninhabited room. Alfonse unceremoniously dropped Kiran on her bed and clumsily spread blankets on her, but when he turned to leave he felt a tug on his hand and with surprising strength Kiran pulled him onto the bed beside her.

" _Kiran_!" Alfonse hissed in surprise, but before he could sit up Kiran was snuggling to his side and pressing her warm body against his.

"You smell good," she breathed in his ear, and Alfonse felt her breath rustle the hairs around his ear. For several moments Alfonse lay stiff beside Kiran, his face pink and his heart pounding frantically. Never before in his life had he lain in a bed beside a woman like this and he wasn't sure on how he felt about it.

Feeling slightly panicky, Alfonse was about to carefully wriggle away, but something made him stay, and gradually he relaxed as he listened to Kiran's soft breathing and smelled the floral aroma of her soft, silky hair.

Sighing quietly, Alfonse gently withdrew from Kiran's cozy hold and stood up. His feeling of protectiveness increased as he straightened her blankets. Then, hesitantly, he bent over and planted a kiss on her forehead, where she lightly stirred, her lips curling into a tiny smile. Careful not to wake Kiran up, Alfonse tiptoed out and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

Suddenly feeling cold and lonely, he left the corridor quickly, thinking longingly of how warm and comfortable he felt lying beside Kiran.

 _Stop it_ , he told himself with a tiny shake of his head. _Focus on your duties._

But still, he couldn't forget the last thing Kiran had spoken to him.

 _She thinks I s_ _mell good_ , he realized with a shy and boyish smile.  
  


⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

I heard Alfonse gently close the door behind him, and everything I did came at me in a heated rush, and if I was not so exhausted I would have been mortified. Instead, I was...disappointed. I honestly didn't intend to pull Alfonse onto the bed with me, but he was so warm as he carried me to my room that I couldn't resist myself.

For those several moments, everything was perfect; I was snuggled into the prince's side, his feather-soft hair tickling my cheek. I was warm, comfortable and safe, and, had he stayed, I would have fallen asleep to the aroma of pine trees and lavender. The tenderness of the kiss on my forehead had filled my whole chest with sunshine.

As soon as I heard the door close with a click the bed felt cold and empty, and I was startled at the gaping hole that was cracking through my heart. Everything had felt so wonderful, so right, yet as soon as the smell of pine trees and lavender faded I knew that in eight more days, he would be gone.

Suddenly fully awake, I sat upright and slid off of bed. All of the exhaustion that was wearing me down had completely vanished. That delicate moment with Alfonse only reminded me of what was going to disappear after Hel's countdown is completed.

I was tempted to burst out of my room, but I knew that if I left now I would be caught and sent to bed again. I counted to sixty and quietly left my room. Thank the gods that Alfonse hadn't thought of assigning guards to watch me. That would have made things much more difficult.

As I was hurrying to the library I sped past Heroes that would curiously watch me pass by. Several called my name but I ignored them. Knowing how quick gossip spread around here, Alfonse was bound to hear of my escape soon.

I had anxiously turned my head to see Soren and adult Tiki give me a suspicious glance when I ran full-speed into a heavily armored and solid embodiment. I fell to the floor, more startled than hurt, and my stomach dropped unpleasantly when I saw that I had crashed right into Ephraim.

"Kiran!" He quietly exclaimed, looking startled. He offered me a hand that I awkwardly accepted and I clumsily got to my feet, the heaviness of my limbs reminding me of my previously vanished tiredness. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes," I instantly answered, somewhat breathless.

After getting over his surprise of unexpectedly encountering me, Ephraim frowned. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" He asked, and I was uncomfortably aware that he hadn't let go of my hand.

Flustered, I winced and muttered, "Well, um, technically, yes? But I needed something!" I quickly improvised, mind racing to fill my fabricated excuse.

"Oh," Ephraim said, and he smiled. "What is it you need? Maybe I can bring it up to you when you're back in bed?"

"Oh," I said, feeling sweat begin to bead my brow. "Um, no that's not...I mean..." Hating for what I was about to do I put on my best exhausted wince (which came way too easily) and I said in a weak voice, "I was having a difficulty relaxing... I was going to get myself some black tea, to help me sleep."

I waited hopefully and somewhat cautious, knowing that if Ephraim was familiar with tea then he would know that black tea would do the exact opposite of making me sleepy. For a moment he looked uncertain, but as if he was unable to ignore my pleading expression he said, "All right. Why don't you head up to bed while I bring you your tea?"

"Oh, _thank you_!" I sighed in relief, and, still feeling guilty of being so manipulative, I stood on my tiptoes and gave Ephraim a light peck on the cheek before whisking away back to my bed chambers. I didn't give a backward glance, but I could practically feel the warmth spreading on the Prince of Renai's face.

The euphoria of my success was soon replaced with guilt. As hard as I tried to tell myself, I was full aware that I had knowingly taken advantage of Ephraim's feelings for me.

 _It's for a good cause!_ I thought, desperate for the shame to leave. _This gives me time to study more and I'll be able to save Alfonse's life!_

But that still didn't make me feel any better, so I began to distract myself by plotting another escapade that won't draw attention from any of the other Heroes. With luck they'll catch word that Ephraim was giving me some relaxing tea, and no one will think to look.

But then I realized that would mean Alfonse would hear of me asking Ephraim for a favor that I could have asked him before he left. That, and would Ephraim mention the kiss?

Once more, I was plunged into guilt and shame and I was soon wishing for this all to be over.


	17. A Chilly Rift

The shy smile lingered on Alfonse's face after he left Kiran to sleep in peace. He felt a little guilty for just leaving her like that, but he knew that if he had stayed things would have gotten much more... _active;_ Kiran would definitely make sure of that.

As he was leaving the corridor he passed Prince Ephraim, who caught his eye and asked, "Shall I gather up some guards to keep the corridor quiet?"

Alfonse thought back on how sleepy Kiran was and how cozy he felt when she had snuggled up to his side, and he was suddenly a little less keen on having Ephraim watching guard over the tactician.

"Actually, that's unnecessary," Alfonse said, giving his head a small shake. Forcing a small smile he added, "She was already asleep when I put her in bed, so there's no chance she'll feel any need to leave."

"All right, then," Ephraim said with a respectful nod, although Alfonse could see the uncertain look in his eyes that suggested he didn't entirely agree. Not wanting any conflict to arise, Alfonse returned the nod and said, "Thank you for the offering, though. I will contact you if Kiran tries to make any moves."

"Yes, Prince Alfonse, thank you," Ephraim said, and Alfonse inwardly winced at the noticeable disappointment in his voice.

Feeling unusually tense, Alfonse quickly parted ways with Ephraim. Each encounter they had was growing more awkward, and Alfonse didn't like it. He held great respect for the Renaisan prince and fully acknowledged his strength and nobility, but all the same he hated how terse he felt at the sight of him interact with Kiran, and how soft and warm his eyes would become...

Alfonse absently passed a group of the younger female Heroes and he was surprised to a gasp of shock. He halted and turned and saw that Mae was holding something he couldn't see between her fingertips, and she instantly showed it to Nino, Fir, Faye and Tailtiu. Collectively they all gasped at what she was holding and turned to Alfonse, their eyes wide.

Unsure what to say, Alfonse gave the girls an uncertain smile and was about to ask if he could help them with anything, but Mae spoke first.

"Prince Alfonse," she said, and although her voice was civil and polite there was a triumphant gleam in her bronze-colored eyes as she held up the invisible something in front of his face. "What was _this_ doing on your persona?"

At a complete loss, Alfonse gave a small frown and confessed, "I'm not sure that I understand, Mae."

To Alfonse's slight annoyance this was met with giggles and Mae said, "Take a closer look at what I'm holding."

Bemused, Alfonse looked back at the object the mage was holding between her thumb and forefinger and very faintly saw a long hair dangling in between them, and it clicked into place when he recognized the color.

Noticing his understanding, Mae raised her eyebrows and said, "How did one of Kiran's _hairs_ end up on _your body_?"

Resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation Alfonse said, "It must have fallen on me when I carried Kiran to her sleeping quarters."

"Hmm," Mae said, narrowing her eyes at the hair. Collectively, the four other girls looked back at it too. "I _suppose_ that's plausible," Mae added, although her brow was furrowed with skepticism.

"But?" Alfonse guessed, and he was suddenly as tired as Kiran and once again wished he had stayed with the exhausted tactician.

"But nothing," Mae said, shrugging innocently as she casually discarded the hair, and the other girls exchanged smirks.

All too certain that Mae was obviously holding something back, Alfonse hesitantly said, "Excuse me, ladies." He turned to leave the small group, and he could hear hushed whispering ensue. Not keen on eavesdropping Alfonse quickened his pace, but had not left soon enough, as he very faintly heard Mae breathe, "Does this mean they're sleeping together?"

Thoroughly embarrassed, Alfonse quickly left the scene, strongly aware that both he and Kiran had gotten pretty close just a few minutes earlier. And, much to his surprise, Alfonse soon realized that he was disappointed about this, and his cheeks flushed noticeably. Grateful there wasn't anybody nearby to notice this, he left for the men's bathhouse to wash up before the meeting.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"Curses...curses...curses..." I muttered under my breath as I traced a fingertip along the spines of books on a bookshelf several feet above my head. Suddenly tired of keeping my head turned up, I briefly scanned the library and noticed one of those moving ladders that tended to spot up in places like this, and I quickly moved it to where I needed it. I clambered up until my face was level with the books I was searching, and after skimming some titles I grabbed a book and carefully leaped to the floor where I went to my typical studying area.

Somebody had cleaned up the spilled ink from last night, and I covered the surface of the desktop with open-faced books, scrolls of parchment, a handful of spare quills, several unopened bottles of ink and, of course, a steaming mug of black tea.

I picked it up and sipped it, the scalding beverage barely cool enough to drink. The edges of my vision sharpened and some of the fogginess of my head cleared up, and I instantly began reading the nearest book in front of me.

Thanks to the tea that Ephraim had the kitchens brew for me (I ordered it extra black) I was easily able to focus on my studies and began to take notes on the parchment I brought, careful not to spill any ink this time. Unlike last night, I had morning sunshine pouring through the gracefully arched windows, and I was blissfully free of the worry of accidentally blowing out my light.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I eventually ran out of tea and the fear of the inevitable arrival of exhaustion was beginning to set in. While the caffeine from the tea was still running strong in my system, I was now so focused on maintaining my focus for my studies that I was _losing_ focus _from_ my studies.

Thankfully I was back in my train of thought and I was once again lost in my studying. The half-healed burns that _Njörðr_ gave me were itching slightly, and I absently scratched my cheek as I went over all of my notes.

Just when I was swelling with satisfaction at the sight of all of the notes I took the library door flew open and I jumped guiltily, nearly spilling ink all over my precious writings. Wincing, I turned and saw Anna, who had her arms folded irritably and was stiffly tapping a finger.

" _Kiran_ ," she said, her tone stiff.

"Hi," I squeaked, trying to put on my most winning smile but ended up grimacing sheepishly.

For a moment Anna was silent, her eyes narrowed. Finally, she gruffly asked, "What'd you find?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, both surprised and relieved that Anna wasn't going to scold me, as she had ruthlessly done before. "I'll take it to the meeting!"

"Hmph," Anna said, although I could tell that her crossness was draining. "Well, I guess that's good timing on my part, because the meeting's about to start."

"Oh, right!" I said, and looked down at my casual outfit uncertainly.

"You can change later," Anna said, apparently still somewhat annoyed with me, and grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip and began to march me to the meeting room, nearly dragging me behind her. Thankfully she released me and gestured to the door with flourish, and I gave her a surprised and slightly confused look.

"Go on," Anna said, arching her eyebrows. "Be sure to tell Alfonse how much you appreciated him taking time out of his own schedule and walking you to bed!"

My face flushed. "Wait, Anna," I began, but she sighed apologetically and said, "Let's just go inside. Everyone's waiting for us."

Still blushing, I opened the doors and Anna followed me inside. This meeting was much more crowded as it had all of the tacticians I summoned including both Robins, both Morgans, Soren and Katarina, and my most trusted and strongest allies, who were Ike, Ephraim (I avoided his gaze), Laevatein, Tiki, Mordecai, Kagero, Azura, Lucina, Hector, Duma, Alm, Julia and many others.

"Ah, Kiran," Alfonse said, smiling. "I'm pleased you could make it." But there was something wrong with his smile; it didn't quite reach his eyes and there was a certain stiffness to it, and at that moment I realized that he knew I had left for the library soon after he left me in peace.

Boiling hot shame filled my stomach and my blush deepened, but things only got worse when I realized that the opposing seats beside him were occupied by Sharena and Fjorm, and, sitting by my vacant seat, was Ephraim.

"Alfonse," I said timidly, wringing my hands together nervously, "I..."

"It doesn't matter," Anna cut in before Alfonse could speak. "What's done is done; our main focus right now is what we're going to do about Alfonse's curse."

Wishing I had my cloak so I could pull my hood over my head, I sank into my seat and directed my eyes to my lap, where I had my notes rolled up into scrolls. I could tell that every inhabitant of the room were staring at me and Alfonse in shameless curiosity and confusion, and something told me they weren't aware of what had happened.

"So," Alfonse said, sounding as if we were merely going to discuss the day's weather, "let's begin."

"Kiran, show everyone what you wrote down in the library," Anna suggested, and I nodded and, refusing to look Alfonse in the eye, I placed my notes on the table and unrolled it for everyone to see. Those sitting closest stood from their seats and leaned in to get a better look at my neat writing.

I was suddenly eager to hear everyone's opinions on my careful note-taking and fancy calligraphy. I was expecting praise and impressed nods, but instead everyone gave me weird looks, as if I was growing a second head. Then there were some chuckles.

"What?" I asked in a tiny and uncertain voice, my face heating up for third time. What did I do wrong? Had I made a blatantly obvious mistake? Did I make some spelling errors?

"Er, Kiran?" Anna asked, coughing into her fist and I knew she was trying not to laugh.

"What?" I asked again, beginning to wish I could sink into the ground and disappear forever. What could I have done that everyone found so silly?

"What was the book you were studying titled?" Anna asked, unable to suppress a smile.

For a terrifying moment I couldn't recall. Then I remembered and awkwardly stammered, "T-The Curse of the Shadow M-Mirror," I whispered. "I...I thought that it contained recountations of a true story..."

This was followed by more amused looks and some splutters of laughter, and I could feel my entire head turn red.

"Oh, Kiran," Sharena said fondly, giggling. "That's the first novel of a popular book series!"

There was some more laughter, and I dropped my gaze back onto my lap. "Then it's...not real?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

"Of course not, silly!" Sharena said, giggling again. "Why would a story of people walking on the moon be _real_?"

I could feel my eyes sting with tears of humiliation and I said nothing. Why on earth had I thought that a story of people walking on the moon had been _real_? That, and giant metal birds that flew in the sky and stories of different planets with extra moons and mysterious rings?

I couldn't resist but sneak a miserable look at Alfonse and to my relief his coldness had softened and he said, "To be fair, we know nothing of the world that Kiran is from. For all we know, things such as flying metal birds and planets made of gas are in her home."

"Good point," Anna pointed, nodding thoughtfully. "We all might learn a thing or two from Kiran and the world where she came from."

There was some nodding, and while the amusement from my mistake still remained, it was more affectionate than teasing, and I relaxed somewhat, the scorching heat on my cheeks finally cooling.

Still keen for the subject to be dropped, I quickly said, "Has anyone else come up with anything to help Alfonse?"

I suddenly wish I hadn't asked, because as soon as I asked there was a heavy silence and everyone had guiltily turned their heads away from Alfonse. Unable to look at the prince, I glanced at Sharena, who looked to be fighting back tears.

Finally Hector spoke. "Come now, let us not lose heart!" He said, and everyone turned to look at him. Once he saw that he had everyone's attention he gave a small smile and said, "I know we can't guarantee victory over Hel, but if we pertain to this attitude then we will accomplish nothing!"

"He's right," Lucina said, giving the marquess an admiring look. "We will get nothing done if we cling to this morale."

"Yes," Julia agreed, her voice soft but firm. "We cannot let fear cloud our hearts."

"Hear hear," Alm said with a nod of agreement.

"That's right," Ephraim said. "While Hel has her army, something we have that she lacks is our diversity and heart. We must use this to our advantage while we still can!"

I gave a quick look at Alfonse, and while I was expecting him to be warmed and touched by everyone's devotion, he merely grimaced and shook his head.

"Thank you, all," he said, still unsmiling, "but I refuse you all to give up your lives for the mistake I have made. I would never forgive myself if you were all killed just for my cause."

There was a stunned silence, and I felt another rush of anger. I abruptly stood up, nearly knocking my chair aside, and I slammed my palms on the table and said, "Are you expecting us all to agree and pull back and watch you die? Because we as sure as hell refuse to let that happen! We're all going to fight for your life, Alfonse, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!"

For the first time since the meeting started Alfonse finally met my eyes and for a moment he looked taken aback. Then his expression hardened more business-like and said, "Very well, Summoner. But if you are to join us, you need to get the appropriate amount of rest."

I gave a tiny flinch; Alfonse only called me "Summoner" if he was truly upset with me.

I dropped my gaze from his and gave a tiny nod. "I will," I said softly. I was hoping this would satisfy him, but he merely turned to Laevatein and Laegjarn and said, "Will you two accompany the Summoner to her bed chambers?"

The two sisters shared a surprised glance and nodded.

"Thank you," Alfonse said, his voice still slightly stiff. "And, if necessary, lock her doors if you have to."

My jaw dropped open in outrage. I was itching to give a stinging retort until I felt a small touch on my shoulder and I saw that Laegjarn had gently placed a hand on me. For a moment, remembering past confrontations, I feared that there would be hostility in her eyes but instead they were soft with sympathy.

"Come, Kiran," she said, and turned to beckon Laevatein, who quickly joined us, still looking surprised at this turn of events.

I nodded mutely and allowed myself to be shepherded out of the meeting room. Right before I exited I tried to catch Alfonse's eye, but he refused to even look in my direction, and I quickly left, my heart aching.

The two princesses of Múspell were silent as they guided me, and I felt my head droop in shame. I was expecting tears to fill my eyes, but they remained dry. Suddenly missing my tactician's coat, I shivered, remembering the coldness in Alfonse's voice, like chilled steel.

"Don't worry," Laegjarn said, and again, I was surprised at her sincerity. "I can assure you that things will smooth out between you and the prince."

I shrugged, wishing I could forget the whole thing. No more words were spoken until I reached my room, and I anxiously glanced at the two princesses.

"We're not going to lock you in," Laegjarn assured, and I tried to give a smile of thanks but it only came out as a pained grimace. Ignoring Laevatein's curious stare, I quickly whispered, "Thanks," and entered my room and closed the door behind me. I paused for a second, straining my ears for the telltale click of a door being locked, but true to her word, Laegjarn didn't lock the door.

Thoroughly miserable, I threw myself onto my bed and was surprised to feel an unexpected lump. I rolled over and saw that I had landed on the cloak that Alfonse had lent me earlier in the morning. I buried my face in the soft fabric and inhaled, desperately seeking the comforting smell of pine needles and lavender, but all I got was cold mustiness. Angrily flinging the cloak to the side, I burrowed deep into my blankets and finally drifted off to sleep.


	18. Alfonse and Kiran

Alfonse just couldn't understand it. The past 12 hours for him and Kiran had been an exhausting whirlwind of emotion. Just when he thought Kiran's mood had settled and evened out, she would pull a 180 and catch him off guard.

Like earlier in the morning, when Kiran had pulled Alfonse beside her before she fell asleep. _Well, PRETENDED to_ , Alfonse thought with a pang of irritation. That sleepy, cozy feeling she gave... _Had it all been a ruse?_ he thought, irritation turning into hurt. _Was she just manipulating me?_ _Had ALL of our new relationship just been a lie?_

Alfonse thought back on when Kiran first entered the meeting room, her complexion flushed, her face upset. He honestly hadn't intended to sit between Sharena and Fjorm--either he was more upset with Kiran than he thought or it was just bad luck. Either way, Alfonse could tell it really got to Kiran. The only uplifting note from the meeting was that Kiran looked miserable sitting next to Ephraim.

 _Oh, Kiran,_ Alfonse thought, his pain melting into amusement. He could tell that she sincerely thought she was studying something useful to help break his curse, but all the same it was still a childish mistake to make. _What are we going to do with you?_

The meeting had ended on a mixed note; the planned searches for Hel that they came up with left everyone feeling optimistic, but there was still a heaviness to the atmosphere after Kiran had left. While everyone pretended nothing had happened there was still an awkward moment when Tiki confusedly piped up, "Kiran's coming, right? Or is she too sleepy, like I was before?"

The adults exchanged looks, but Azura had thankfully smiled kindly at the tiny manakete and gently said, "Kiran's coming, Tiki. She just needs a little nap, then she'll be fine."

Tiki nodded thoughtfully, understanding full well that sleep can make a big difference.

They had all agreed that the best thing to do for the time being was search for Hel herself and end her once and for all. Alfonse had assigned different search parties to branch out and search various areas around Askr, and if they find the Sovereign of Death they would contact each other via the communication stones Alfonse had used to contact Zacharias so long ago. Thankfully Alfonse reminded Soren to write everything they went over so Kiran would catch up after she woke up.

 _If she actually sleeps_ , Alfonse thought doubtfully. He thought back on what his father had said to him about Kiran and their relationship, and he genuinely considered breaking things off with Kiran. It was doing either of them no good, developing their relationship, and it would only make things more painful for Kiran after his countdown was up.

 _Yes_ , Alfonse decided. _I must cut ties with Kiran before it's too late. She can't fall in love with someone she'll never be with._

 _IF she's in love with you_ , a tiny, sneering voice added in Alfonse's thoughts, but he dismissed it. Regardless how she felt, Alfonse knew that no good would come with continuing to associate himself with the Summoner.

After coming to terms with this there was a painful heaviness in Alfonse's heart that had little to do with Hel's curse. He thought back on earlier that morning, when he had given Kiran that sticky bun and how happy she was. And then there was their kiss after Kiran had slapped him. That had felt so _real_. Was it? Or was Kiran just fooling him?

Alfonse sighed, wishing that being in love could be less complicated. Or even better, for women to actually make _sense_...

For a brief moment Alfonse considered checking on Kiran, but decided against it. If he was truly going to stop seeing Kiran, then he must begin now, before he changed his mind.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

I instantly could tell that I was dreaming. I was back in the castle library, only Líf was there. I doubted he could hear me, as I gasped loudly when I recognized him, but he gave no sign that he heard me. Now that I knew I wasn't in danger, I couldn't help but watch the enigma browse the room.

He was walking along one of the endless bookshelves, running a hand down the spines of the books, similarly as I had done before. Suddenly he halted and pulled a book off; it had a stunning cover, with mother-of-pearl surface and gold trimming. I slowly approached him, curious on what the title of the book was, but before I could see it Líf opened the book.

There was something strange about the way he opened it. The confidence in the way he flipped it open had shown that he had opened to that page many times. On closer inspection there were multiple bookmarks marking the spot, and the threading in the binding was visible.

I was at a complete loss. Why was _Líf_ in the castle's library? And what on earth could he be reading? I was tempted to sneak right up beside him to look at what he was reading, but something told me that wasn't a good idea, dream or not.

The look in Líf's eyes had misted over as they had focused on something on the pages. I could tell that he was looking more than he was reading, because his eyes were staying in place. Despite this, I could see pain fill his eyes, sharp and tangible. 

I watched, mesmerized, as he softly stroked a fingertip on the page's surface with surprising tenderness, as if he was caressing a small child. It was at this moment when I knew that Líf wasn't who he said he was. I wasn't sure what told me this, but I was almost dead certain that I was right.

For a moment Líf closed his eyes and was still, almost statue-like. He then emitted a barely audible sigh and delicately closed the book and replaced it back on the shelf. But his hand lingered on the binding, and there was a sudden longing in his eyes that caught me off guard.

Then, expression hardening, he dropped his hand from the book and said in his softest voice, "Soon, my love."

I must have woken up because I was once again in bed, half-tangled in blankets. My restless sleeping had unraveled my braid crown, and my hair hung loose and curly. I wasn't sure how much time had passed; I was still drained of energy, but some of the cloudiness in my head had gone away. I pulled my drapes aside and saw that it was still bright and sunny, so surely not a long time?

 _Would it be safe to leave?_ I couldn't stop thinking of that book Líf had been so carefully reading in the library. If the library was the exact same as it had been in my dream, then I should be able to find the book if I searched closely enough.

But all the same, how would Alfonse react if I left my room again? Were Laegjarn and Laevatein still standing guard at the door? Would they try to stop me if I left?

Rubbing my eyes, I was about to open the doors to ask the sisters how long I had slept until their voices made me stop.

"Things are quiet," Laevatein said.

"Yes, they are," Laegjarn agreed.

"From the way the Askran prince was treating the Summoner...you would have thought she would have tried to leave this room by now."

Laegjarn sighed. "I think maybe Prince Alfonse was expecting Kiran to do so."

There was a brief pause, then Laevatein said, "Kiran and Alfonse...they have both been acting strangely when around each other."

"People act strangely when they're in love, Sister."

There was a thoughtful silence, and I hardly realized that I was now sitting on the floor, my back pressed against the door. Back in the bathhouse with Camilla and the others, I still wasn't entirely convinced on how I completely felt about Alfonse. But now, after the time that had passed, I was completely certain.

I was in love with Alfonse. The truth was so sudden, so wonderful yet painful, that for a moment I forgot how to breathe and my head felt light.

I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my chin. In less than eight days, Alfonse's life was going to end.

"Not if I can stop it," I whispered. I stood up and was about to reach for the doorknob, when something held me back. After a few uncertain heartbeats my hand dropped and I looked back at my bed. As frustrated as I was to be practically banished to my room, and as angry as I was with Alfonse, I knew he had his best interests in heart.

 _As do I with him_ , I thought grudgingly, although I walked away from my door and climbed back into bed. I rolled to my side and looked to where Alfonse had been lying earlier in the day, and I felt my heart prick with pain.

"I miss you," I whispered.

I then closed my eyes, and fell back asleep.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

To Alfonse's relief, Kiran stayed true to her word and took a hearty four and-a-half hour nap. Alfonse had Sharena check Laegjarn and Laevatein for an update on Kiran, and his sister happily reported that the two Múspellan sisters detected no activity from Kiran.

And, much to Alfonse's satisfaction, by the time Kiran emerged from her room she had clearly awoken from a long nap, as her hair was mussed up, her eyes were squinted and bleary, and there were crease marks on her face that her blankets left. In spite of all this, Alfonse found her as beautiful as ever, and he once again reminded himself that he decided to stop seeing Kiran.

Kiran had tried to catch his eye a little after she woke up, but Alfonse quickly busied himself with his duties in an attempt to avoid his tactician. _The Order of Heroes' tactician_ , Alfonse reminded himself, and he ignored the small prick of pain his heart felt whenever he had thoughts on Kiran like this.

Unfortunately, as Alfonse had feared, Kiran's closest friends had noticed that he had been avoiding her. There was a definite steely glint in Camilla's eye when she caught Alfonse's attention, and there was a certain stiffness in when Lucina crossed his path not twenty minutes before, and even Azura had given him a significant look recently that left him feeling slightly abashed.

 _It's only going to get worse after I end things_ , Alfonse thought bleakly. He could only imagine how ruthless Kiran's girlfriends were going to be. He could almost feel their eyes glaring into his back from the shadows, and he hesitantly turned on his heels, half expecting to see a crowd of angry girls forming behind him. Thankfully, he only saw his mother, who was placing a vase of lilies on a display table and neatly arranging the blossoms. She caught her son's eye, and she smiled.

"Hello, Mother," Alfonse said, smiling in slight relief.

"Hello, dear," Queen Henriette said, turning back to the lilies. "How are you feeling?"

Knowing full well that his mother wouldn't accept a simple "I'm fine" he took a steadying breath and said, "I'm...managing."

Queen Henriette nodded, her smile flickering away. Abandoning the flowers she tenderly stroked her son's cheek, her green eyes moist. "How's Kiran?" She asked softly.

"She's doing well," Alfonse instantly replied, but he found that he was unable to meet his mother's eyes as he answered, and when he looked up he saw that she was frowning.

"Is she?" She asked, arching one of her eyebrows. "Because I have just saw her and she's thoroughly miserable."

"Er..." Alfonse dropped his gaze again and quietly added, "Things are getting tense between us."

"I would assume so," Queen Henriette said. "Any young woman would he unhappy if her significant other was doomed to death and began to avoid her."

Alfonse grimaced. "So people have noticed?"

Henriette nodded. "I think everyone's noticed, Alfonse," she said, her tone stern. "How do you think this makes Kiran feel?"

Alfonse fell silent, unable to answer. After several heartbeats he spoke up. "I just think...that it would make things easier if we stopped seeing each other."

He expected his mother to scold him or insist that he was wrong, but instead Alfonse's mother just smiled sadly.

"If that's what you think is necessary, then do what you must." Her eyes softened and said, "It's never easy, being in love. Your father and I have had plenty of experiences similar to yours and Kiran's."

Alfonse frowned. "Then you're saying that things will get better for me and Kiran?"

"They might," Henriette said, her tone gentle. "But no two romantic relationships are the same. If you really believe that ending your relationship with Kiran will make things better, then do it. Just...be gentle with her."

Alfonse nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak.

"Oh, Alfonse," Henriette sighed, grasping her son's hand to give it a small squeeze. "Giving romantic advice is only reminding me how old you're getting. It seems it was just yesterday when you were small enough to hold you in my arms."

Alfonse nodded, and the corners of his mouth twitched sadly. "If you excuse me, Mother," he said. "I must find Kiran and...speak to her."

Henriette nodded, her brow furrowed in worry. For a moment it looked like she was going to say something, but she held back last second and gave him a small smile of farewell, which Alfonse found he was unable to return.

Now there was the problem of finding Kiran. Alfonse had taken advantage of Kiran's constant presence, but now that there was an invisible rift between them it suddenly seemed impossible to find the young woman.

Just then Alfonse was passing Julia, and he quickly called her name to get her attention. She looked surprised, as she wasn't as popular as the other Heroes. As she approached him there was a look in her eye that Alfonse didn't like, and as soon as she reached him she asked in her soft voice, "Are you looking for Kiran?"

"Er, yes," Alfonse said, uncomfortable that it was this obvious to others.

Julia turned her head and vaguely pointed at the nearest window. "Last I saw was when she was heading to the castle's gardens to do some drawing."

 _Drawing?_ Alfonse tried to think of the last time he saw her drawing, but came empty. Whatever the case was, though, Alfonse now had a lead on Kiran's location.

"Thank you, Julia," Alfonse said gratefully, and the pale-haired girl nodded thoughtfully in return.

To Alfonse's relief, Kiran was right where Julia said she was. She was sitting at one of the gardens, sitting on a marble bench. She was surrounded by flowers and blossoms that swayed lazily in the breeze, and she was crouched over something on her lap. Her hair hadn't been brushed since she woke up from her nap a bit earlier. That was something Alfonse liked about Kiran; she never fussed about her appearance like other girls.

For a moment Alfonse just watched Kiran in silence. Every so often she would straighten her back and look at what she was so carefully hiding on her lap in a critical, calculating matter. Then she would dive back in and continue scrawling on her concealed sketchbook.

When Alfonse gathered the courage to slowly approach her, he realized that Kiran was humming under her breath as she worked. While she wasn't as talented as Azura or Shigure, there was something innocent and dreamlike about her singing.

"Kiran?" Alfonse asked.

Kiran jumped gasped loudly and nearly jumped an inch off the bench. She turned to Alfonse, her eyes round with alarm, her face pinker than usual.

"Oh, Alfonse!" She said weakly, placing a hand over her heart. "You _scared_ me!"

"I'm sorry," Alfonse apologized, although unable to hold back a smile.

Kiran relaxed somewhat. "It's fine, I guess," she muttered, dropping her eyes from his. Brushing a lock of hair behind an ear she added, "You nearly made me ruin my drawing, though." As she spoke she held her sketchbook to her chest and folded her arms protectively around it.

"My apologies," Alfonse said. Then, more tentatively, "May I join you?"

"I suppose," Kiran said, looking nervous as Alfonse took the vacant seat on her left.

It was at this moment that Alfonse realized that he had no idea what to say. He had only so recently decided to break things off, that he hadn't thought of what to say. For a few moments he wondered how he could word things without leaving Kiran hurt or upset.

Suddenly Kiran let out a soft sigh and leaned into Alfonse's side, resting her head on his shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was tiny and uncertain.

"Alfonse, I'm really sorry about everything. I really, really am. I'm just so desperate to help you, that I'm accidentally changing my priorities..."

Alfonse was silent. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Kiran was supposed to still be angry or at least moody, not warm and apologetic. He hadn't expected her to already forgive him.

With the warmth of her breath on his cheek and the floral scent of her hair filling his head, Alfonse suddenly forgot why he was even here. Without meaning to, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.

After a comfortable silence, Kiran whispered, "Are things...okay between us now?"

Alfonse let out an involuntary splutter of laughter and said, "Yes, they are."

_No...they're not._

He lightly grasped her chin so he could turn her head, and he gently pressed his forehead against hers. For a moment Alfonse closed his eyes and savored the warmth of the sunshine and the softness of Kiran's skin against his. Then their faces drew nearer, and he felt their noses touch. Finally, their lips met, and the world around them melted away as they began to kiss.

After several wonderful moments Alfonse forced himself away and dropped his gaze from Kiran's. This was wrong. This was the exact opposite of what he came here for.

"What?" Kiran asked, and Alfonse internally winced at the uncertainty and hurt in her voice.

Alfonse sighed and forced himself to meet her in the eye. "Kiran," he said slowly. "We shouldn't be together like this."

Kiran blinked, looking both upset and puzzled. "Why?"

Alfonse hesitated. _Finish what you started_ , he heard his mother's voice in his head, and he forced himself to continue.

"It's just...with my curse...after my time is up..."

Understanding dawned on Kiran's face, and she looked down at her hands which she clasped on her lap. She seemed to be steeling herself for something, and took a deep breath and looked Alfonse in the eye and spoke.

"I don't care."

This time it was Alfonse's turn to be confused. "I don't understand."

A suddenly fierce look flooded Kiran's eyes, similar to when she had slapped him. "I don't care," she repeated, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Curse or not, you still mean everything to me and I want to spend the last of your days by your side."

 _You still mean everything to me_.

For a moment those words had taken Alfonse's breath away, and he could only look at her in surprise, then sadness. He found that he was at a loss for words, and he looked down at her hands and reached for one to grasp.

" _Please_ , Alfonse," she pleaded, her eyes widening with desperation. "Don't push me away! I don't..." She paused for a second and continued, her voice shaking. "I don't want my last memories of you to be..." Her voice broke, and she stopped and dropped her head so her hair fell in front of her face.

"Kiran," Alfonse said softly, brushing aside her hair so he could cup a hand on her cheek. "You deserve to be with someone who has their whole life ahead of them. Not someone like...me," he finished feebly.

Kiran raised her hand and placed her hand over the hand that was on her cheek. "No," she said, her voice steady again. "I want to be with _you_ , Alfonse, and _only_ you, and nothing you can say will make me feel otherwise."

Alfonse sighed. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Kiran laughed softly and leaned into his chest so his chin rested on her crown.

"Because I _love_ you, you silly prince," she said, taking Alfonse's hands into her own.

Alfonse said nothing, his heart too full of raw emotion to speak.


	19. Frail

"Heya, Kiran! Wanna spar?"

It was breakfast the following day at the dining area, and Alfonse was sharing a pomegranate with Kiran as they discussed their plans for the day. Kiran said that she was going to do a bit of studying on _Ilmr's Fury_ before the searches for Hel, but before Alfonse could tell her what he had in mind Mia popped up seemingly from nowhere, her face alight with eagerness.

Kiran jumped and gave Mia a startled look, as if she was unsure if she heard her correctly. After a few moments she grimaced and shook her head.

"Er, no thanks," she said, looking awkward. "I haven't even held a sword before..."

"That's not true," Alfonse pointed out, grabbing several of the ruby-colored seeds.

"What, really?" Kiran asked him, evidently surprised. "Since when?"

"Back before we fought Hel," Alfonse explained, carefully pulling the fruit apart as he spoke, revealing more glittering seeds. "Remember when I was disarmed and picked up by one of those undead soldiers?"

Understanding dawned on Kiran's face as she remembered, and popped a handful of seeds into her mouth before slowly saying, "That's right, I completely forgot..."

"Oh, wow!" Mia exclaimed, looking impressed. Turning to Alfonse she curiously asked, "And how did _that_ go? Did she do well?"

Alfonse looked at Kiran and smiled. "She did very well. She sliced off the soldier's head in a single swipe, saving me."

Kiran looked down at her lap and grinned bashfully. "That was just instinct, though," she said, her smile faltering slightly. "One moment I saw Alfonse, then _Fólkvangr_ lying on the ground...I didn't even know what I was doing."

"That's still really impressive, though!" Mia insisted, and Kiran smiled again, some pinkness filling her dimpled cheeks. "Sounds to me like you're ready for some sword training!"

Kiran's eyes widened and she shook her head again. "No, I don't think so. Right, Alfonse?"

Alfonse, pleased that Kiran went to him for a second opinion, considered this. While she wasn't exactly the most the most agile fighter and was occasionally clumsy, he couldn't forget how cleanly she sliced off the dead fighter's head. That would have required some real strength, especially with a blade like _Fólkvangr_ , and Kiran did it flawlessly. Could it just be from an adrenaline rush, or something more?

"I'm not sure," Alfonse said, closely scrutinizing Kiran, trying to imagine her bearing a sword of her own. While it was certainly an odd image, it didn't seem entirely implausible. "I don't think there would be any harm in giving swordsmanship a chance."

"Really?" Kiran exclaimed, looking slightly disconcerted. " _Me?_ A sword fighter? _ME?"_

"If you're worried about finding a teacher, there's loads of Heroes here to teach you," Mia said earnestly. "Once they all hear about how you rescued Alfonse, I bet they'll be lining up to teach you their moves!"

Looking shy again, Kiran shrugged and absently began to pull the pomegranate further apart, despite aleady having a small pile of seeds that were ready to eat. "I dunno," she said, shrugging again, an uncertain frown furrowing her brow.

"Let's ask Ike," Mia said, scanning the crowd for her fellow mercenary. When she spotted him she called his name and beckoned him forward. Looking vaguely surprised, he joined her side and asked, "Am I needed for something?"

"No, no, but you've _gotta_ hear this," Mia said, and before she could even tell Ike the story Kiran had pulled her hood over her face and slunk into her seat. Alfonse smiled fondly at her and helped himself to some more of the fruit as Mia told Ike what had happened. When she finished Ike gave Kiran a calculating and speculative look.

"Interesting," he said, looking thoughtful. "I didn't expect someone as frail as you to accomplish something like that."

"Hey!" Kiran complained, shooting Ike a glare from under her hood.

"Sorry, but it's true," Ike said, unconcerned at the summoner's reaction to his bluntness. "I would have taken you more for a mage or a healer."

Kiran said nothing but harrumphed and grumpily folded her arms.

"That was _mean_ , Ike," Mist chastised as she passed by, giving her brother a disapproving look.

Ike ignored her and said, "If you're really interested in learning to sword fight, Kiran, then I wouldn't mind teaching you."

"Um, I'm good," Kiran muttered, still hiding under her hood.

"If you're sure," Ike said, shrugging before walking away.

"Aww, come onnnnn!" Mia complained, pouting. "At least give it a try! _Pleeeaaassseee_?"

When Kiran hesitated, Alfonse gave her foot a gentle nudge with his and quietly said, "It really wouldn't hurt to see, Kiran. Why don't you give it a try?"

Kiran sank even lower in her seat until only her eyes and forehead were visible.  
"Oh, all right," she sighed, and Mia cheered.

"I'm going to tell all of the sword-bearing Heroes!" Mia happily exclaimed. "I'll spread the word!"

After she left Kiran was still looking a little surly, and Alfonse reached across the table to nudge her hood back and said, "Don't worry, I'll be by your side the entire time."

This finally seemed to fully convince Kiran, and she visibly relaxed and grabbed a handful of pomegranate seeds to munch on.

"This better be worth it," she sighed, chewing apprehensively.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

I had honestly forgotten on how many sword-users I summoned. By the time I was in the training arena I had an audience of Ike, Reinhardt, Laevatein, Marth, Celica and her witch-form (brought by Lord Duma himself apparently), Silvia, Lene, Leif, both normal Mareeta and her possessed form (was it a mistake to bring her?), Roy, Lucina, Soliel, Hector, the Black Knight (Alfonse made sure he stood far from Ike), Athena, Fir, Olivia, and Ryoma. Thankfully this was only a small portion of all of the sword fighters I have summoned, but I was still intimidated by such a crowd.

Alfonse must have sensed my anxiety, because he placed a consoling hand on my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we're all here to help."

"Right," I said in a tiny voice, watching Witch-Celica and Possessed Mareeta growing visibly impatient and began to stroke their swords and glared at anyone near them.

"Why don't I go first?" Alfonse offered, and took me by the hand and took me to a more spacious area where there would be more room, and everyone followed. Already feeling awkward, I felt a rush of humiliation as I watched him grab two wooden swords that I knew only the most oblivious would wield.

"All right, we're obviously not going to use actual swords, as we don't want you to get hurt," Alfonse added kindly, and I fought the urge to hide behind my hood. _This is ridiculous_ , I thought as I accepted the wooden object. _What on earth am I supposed to do with THIS?_

"A thing to know, Kiran," Alfonse said as he gave his wooden blade a few expert swipes through the air, "is that each and every one of us have different techniques and styles of fighting with a sword."

"Okay," I said slowly, looking down at the roughly-carved weapon that was hardly more than a toy, in my opinion.

"Don't worry, we're going to take things nice and slow," Alfonse assured. "For now, let's focus on your stance."

"My stance?" I echoed, frowning down at my feet. I had to _stand_ a certain way? Surely the way I was standing was fine, right? I mean my feet were evenly spaced and my weight was decently balanced.

"Yes," Alfonse said, stepping by my side to gesture at my feet. "Your feet always need to be at a thirty-degree angle."

"Oh," I said, and complied, adjusting the angles of my feet. _This already feels weird_ , I thought.

To my embarrassment Alfonse dropped by my feet to give them slight adjustments with some poking and nudging. Finally he straightened up and said, "Alright, that looks good. Now your hips..."

"I'll show her," Mareeta instantly said, sparing Alfonse the awkwardness of physically adjusting my hips. I shot her a grateful look as she approached me and she gave a brief smile of understanding before saying, "This is mostly if you're holding a shield, so if you are, be sure to keep your hips cocked, to help support the shield. Like this," she said, and gave an example.

I looked and mimicked the stance, and Mareeta nodded and said, "Excellent, exactly like that. But since you're not holding a shield, you don't have to worry about that for now."

"Ah, okay," I said, trying to memorize everything I was being taught.

"Thank you, Mareeta," Alfonse said, and she nodded and rejoined the audience. "Now let's focus on the most basic offensive moves. Let's begin with the lunge. All you have to do is to take a step forward and strike, like so." He gave a quick demonstration, and I nodded, secretly wishing he would move a bit slower. "All right, now you try."

Feeling silly, I stepped forward and gave an awkward swing and looked expectantly at Alfonse. To my relief he said, "That was fairly close, but you forgot to keep your feet at a thirty-degree angle."

I looked down, and sure enough, my feet were once again positioned in my casual stance.

"Try again," Alfonse said, and I nodded, and, ignoring the stares of the crowd, repeated the move, only now carefully keeping my feet positioned properly.

"Good," Alfonse said with a nod. "Again."

Feeling slightly more confident, I repeated the move and had to several more times until he was satisfied. "Not bad, Kiran," he said, nodding. "Next I'm going to show you a riposte."

And my sword training went on, and as I gradually began to learn I slowly felt less foolish and more confident. After the riposte, Alfonse taught me to feint, parry and remise. After around maybe twenty minutes of that, I was then taught how to flick, then circle parry.

At this point my head was swimming with different phrases and terms, and I was starting to feel slightly overwhelmed. I must have been doing better than I looked, because Alfonse said, "Excellent, Kiran! Why don't you try some of these out with a volunteer from the audience?"

" _What_?" I yelped, looking back at the crowd, whose faces had quickly brightened up.

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on you," Alfonse said, and I couldn't help notice that he was now speaking to me as if I was a small child being taught how to tie a knot.

"Ooh! _Ooh_!" Mia gasped, excitedly jumping in place with a hand raised. "Can _I_ go?"

To my horror, Ike caught my eye. Placing a hand on Mia's head to get her to stop hopping, he said, "I'll go."

 _Oh dear_.

Alfonse must have noticed the terror on my face because he quickly said to Ike, "Please remember to be, er, gentle. Remember, Kiran is--"

"Frail, I know," Ike said, the corners of his mouth twitching, and I felt a rush of irritation.  
 _Fine_! I thought, indignant. _Time to prove I'm not frail!_

"All right, Kiran, Ike," Alfonse said, giving me a worried glance. "I want Ike to strike, and I want you, Kiran to either parry or counterattack."

Both Ike and I nodded, and my anxiety only increased when Alfonse handed the wooden sword to the mercenary; it looked like he was holding a twig. I looked apprehensively at his bulging muscles, and quickly remembered to adjust my feet.

"Okay, on the count of three," Alfonse said, now looking as if he was beginning to regret the whole thing. "One...two..."

" _THREE_!" Mia crowed, and I barely had a chance to look back at Ike when he lunged forward with startling speed and agility and not even a second later I was knocked into the air, my sword flying out of my hand. I landed roughly on my back, driving the air out of my lungs, and I let out an involuntary gasp.

For an alarming moment I couldn't breathe in nor out, and finally I coughed and was gasping for breath. Suddenly a towering shadow loomed over me, and Ike extended his hand. I accepted it, still puffing for breath, and I shakily got to my feet.

In a moment of unexpected rage I gave Ike a fierce kick in the shins, which was like kicking a steel pole, but to my satisfaction this seemed to actually hurt and he gave me a look of surprise and quietly grunted, "Ouch."

"You deserved that!" Soliel gleefully called, and there was some tittering among the girls.

"How about we all take a break?" Alfonse suggested in a cheerful voice, and everyone disbanded, some looking bored, others entertained.

As Ike was leaving he caught me eye once more and gave a small shrug, as if saying _Sorry, kid_ , and I visited the desire to chase him down and kick him again, although this time I would take my aim higher.

When it was just me and Alfonse, he picked up my sword and offered it to me.

"I'm good, thanks," I muttered, rubbing my back where it hit the ground.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have let Ike volunteer," he said, grimacing apologetically.

"It's fine," I said, although I still refused to take the sword. "I guess that was to be expected, with Ike going against frail, old me."

I was joking, but to my annoyance Alfonse fairly said, "That's a good point." Seeing my glare, he quickly added, "Other than your attempt with Ike, you did really, really well today."

Quick to notice the genuine sincerity in his voice, I decided to let it slide and I couldn't suppress a smile. "Thanks," I said. "It helped that you were the one who taught me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Alfonse said humbly, but looking pleased all the same. "You're a quick learner."

I looked back at the scuffing on the ground where I had fallen, and I was silent. I was reminded of the threat Ike posed to our enemies and how high of an asset he was to the Order of Heroes. If he was truly armed, and if I was his foe, there was a huge chance that I would have instantly been killed on the spot.

My embarrassment turned to determination, and I looked Alfonse in the eye and said, "Let me have another go."

"Against _Ike_?" He asked, looking thoroughly alarmed. "I know I said you did well, Kiran, but I don't think he--"

"No, no, I'm not talking about Ike," I said impatiently. "I meant you and me."

Alfonse blinked. "You're saying you want to spar with me?"

I nodded. "I want to be more evenly matched," I teased, but I was surprised to see how uncomfortable the prince looked at this request, and I knew that it was because he was aware that he too could easily disarm and take me down.

"Er, I don't know," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I mean, are you sure?"

I sighed, exasperated. "Fine. Forget it."

"How about this," Alfonse offered, drawing _Fólkvangr_ and offering me the hilt. "You take _Fólkvangr_ and you try against some of these Emblan dummies and I'll give you tips. I know you won't be able to practice any defensive moves, but--"

"Gimme," I said, reaching out to grasp the hilt, and Alfonse smiled, looking relieved. We both went to the area in the training hall where there were some sorry and beat-up looking straw dummies donned with Emblan armor. I went to the one I practiced _Gronnblade_ , and took the proper fighting stance.

"All right, let's begin," Alfonse said, and, trying to remember every offensive move I had been taught, I once again started my training. I thought I was doing fairly well, but it turns out Alfonse was capable of being a lot more stricter and critical than I thought, because no matter how hard I tried, he always had more tips and advice to improve, ranging from me taking bigger steps and adding more wrist movement to moving less frivolously and, of course, to watch my feet. Within another twenty minutes I was panting and sweaty, not to mention quite thirsty.

"Alfonse. Kiran."

The slightly echoing voice of King Gustav made me and Alfonse turn, startled, and we saw the king of Askr standing at the entrance of the training arena. He had his hands resting on the hilt of a gargantuan axe, its double-blades resting on the ground. _How long had he been standing there?_

"Oh, Father," Alfonse said, quickly recovering from his surprise. "Is it time to leave?"

"Nearly," Gustav replied, and I felt my stomach churn as his eyes rested on me. "We leave in fifteen minutes, so I suggest you both wash up and prepare yourselves. I expect to see you both in full preparation when the time comes."

"Yes, sir," both me and Alfonse said, although my voice was noticeably quieter.

Why, _why_ did the king always make me so uncomfortable? At first I thought it was because of his status and I was just intimidated. Then I assumed his presence always brought me anxiety because of my relationship with Alfonse, but now I know it's not that. It was something much, much bigger. There was just something about Alfonse and Sharena's father that made my heart stir with fear. Something that reminded me of home.

If the king had noticed my peculiar behavior directed towards him, he gave no sign, and he merely nodded and said, "See that you both do. I will see you both soon."

And he left, my heart still pounding from the perfectly calm and civil encounter.


	20. Cruel Destiny

The following morning, I felt a little off. I didn't get much sleep last night, as I had suddenly developed a cough that was gradually growing worse throughout the night. I felt lethargic and fatigued, and I figured that was due to lack of sleep. I was getting a little worried that I was getting sick, but I quickly dismissed the worry, telling myself that I hadn't gotten sick in ages, so I didn't have any reason to fall ill now. Besides, we were going to run more searches for Hel today, as we had no success yesterday.

Forcing myself out of bed, I suddenly found it too difficult to get dressed so I threw a blanket over my shoulders and shuffled out of my room. I tried to look as healthy as I could as I made my way to the breakfast area, but as I walked I felt like I was getting more and more distant from the dining hall.

As my gait slowed down and the tightness in my chest constricted further, I finally found a bench that were against the walls in some of the bigger corridors. I slumped on it and couldn't hold back my coughing, and I was soon consumed in a painful fit of gasping and wheezing. After it finally passed I was gasping for breath and my eyes were watering.

"So _you're_ the one who's been coughing!"

Brady rounded the corner, his severe face furrowed with concern as he spotted me.

"Oh, Brady!" I sputtered, swallowing back another cough. "I'm feeling fine, don't worry."

Brady scowled and felt my forehead with the back of his hand. "You're feeling a little warm," he grunted. He lit the tip of his staff and shone the light directly into my eyes, and I fought the urge to avert my gaze or close my eyes. "Eyes are lookin' glassy, too."

"I'm fine," I repeated, blinking the afterimages of the light out of my vision. "It's just a little cough, and I'm always warm after I get up in the morning."

Brady, looking unconvinced, was glaring as he scrutinized me. I could tell he was itching to send me to the hospital wing, but he was still a recently-summoned (he was our newest recruit after being summoned several weeks ago) Hero and knew his place not to contradict me.

"Fine," he muttered, giving my head a little pat. "But I'm going to keep an eye on you, Kiran. I've been told you put other people's concerns over your own."

 _Is he talking about Alfonse?_ I thought, disconcerted.

"Right, thank you," I said distractedly. "If--If you excuse me..."

I quickly walked away, alarmed that I hadn't regained any energy in my quick break. _I just need some food,_ I thought, weaving through the Heroes that were entering the corridors as they exited their rooms, and I ignored their morning greetings.

I was getting tantalizingly close to the dining hall when a familiar voice called, "Hold it, Kiran."

Not in the mood to be fussed over by Ephraim, I pretended I didn't hear and tried to quicken my pace, but just a moment later a firm, cool hand grasped mine, making me stop in my tracks. Inwardly groaning, I turned and saw that, sure enough, it was Ephraim who had stopped me.

"Are you feeling all right, Kiran?" He asked, frowning. "There was someone coughing last night and there is a rumor that it was you."

Ephraim was standing in front of a window full of blazing, golden sunlight and I found that I had to squint slightly to look him in the eye. "I'm fine," I said, my voice slightly strained as I held in some more coughing.

"Are you sure?" Ephraim asked, looking skeptical. "You're feeling really warm. Does Alfonse know you're sick?"

"I'm not sick," I indignantly insisted, feebly trying to pull my hand away, but he only tightened his grasp, not in a threatening way, but in a worried, caring manner. "It's just a little cough. Probably allergies."

I was hoping this would satisfy Ephraim, but I couldn't hold back a scowl as he pressed a cooling hand against my forehead. "Kiran, you're burning up," he said, furrowing his brow. "I wouldn't call that fine."

Growling impatiently, I finally managed to pull my hand free and I folded my arms. "Don't worry about me," I said, trying not to sound as irritated as I felt. "Now if you excuse me, I must have breakfast."

For a moment I was worried Ephraim would stop me again, but he merely nodded uncertainly and said, "Just promise me to go see Mikoto or Genny if you start feeling worse."

I nodded again, although I had no such plans. There was absolutely no way I was going to spend Alfonse's last week alive sleeping in the infirmary. Coughing into my fist, I continued my way to the breakfast area.

As soon as I entered the dining hall I heard, "Kiran!" and I turned and saw that Alfonse was already sitting, and gesturing to the empty seat across him. Sitting in front of him was a plate with three, steaming sticky buns, the hot glaze trickling down the golden pastry's sides. I made my way towards him and sat in my seat and massaged my throat, hoping he wouldn't notice my flushed complexion and glassy eyes.

"Good morning, Kiran," Alfonse said, smiling in welcome. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Fine," I feebly lied, clearing my throat in hopes to make my voice less hoarse. I looked at the plate, and suddenly found that I had no appetite. I blinked blearily, and I could feel what remaining energy I had draining away.

My lack of interest in the sticky buns must have worried Alfonse, because his smile faltered away and, like Brady and Ephraim, frowned in concern.

Desperate not to be sent away to the hospital wing, I ducked his hand that was reaching for my forehead and opened my mouth to tell him not to worry. I only managed to say, "I'm fi--" before being consumed by another around of coughing, and Alfonse instantly jumped out of his seat and was at my side, running a hand up and down my back.

"Oh, Kiran," Alfonse sighed once I had finished. "I _knew_ you had been pushing yourself too hard. Why don't you let me walk you--"

"No!" I gasped, hardly aware that I had jumped to my feet. "You _can't_!"

Alfonse, looking startled at my resistance, unexpectedly teaching a hand out to feel my forehead. I tried to pull away but the room suddenly spun and I stumbled, and he quickly steadied me by grabbing my shoulders. "Kiran, you have a _fever_."

I tried to argue but could only manage to cough again, beginning to grow dizzy from being unable to breathe. Suddenly I couldn't stand any further and I slumped into Alfonse, and he quickly caught me again as my legs buckled.

" _Kiran_!" He exclaimed in alarm, placing me back on my seat. "Are you okay?"

For a moment I was heaving for breath and finally managed to shake my head. "But you're not either," I whispered. I closed my eyes as Alfonse felt my temperature again, savoring the coolness of his hand against my face.

"This fever feels bad," he said, withdrawing his hand from my head. "We need to take you to Mikoto. Can you walk?"

I weakly nodded and stood up and tottered unsteadily, and Alfonse hovered by my side, looking unusually anxious. For a moment I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough support to make it to the infirmary, but Alfonse suddenly called, "Alm! Will you help me walk Kiran to the hospital wing?"

Alm, who had been having his morning meal with Faye, nodded and quickly reached my side, Faye looking sorely disappointed.

"Are you the one who had been coughing all night?" He quietly asked me as both he and Alfonse carefully shepherded me to the hospital wing.

I nodded, and coughed again. My legs were beginning to shake as I was walking, and finally, after several minutes I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest as I began to gasp for breath. I was dimly aware that Alfonse and Alm were speaking in worried, hushed voices. My dizziness got worse, and I felt like I was tumbling through the air as Alm quickly guided me on Alfonse's back, where I limply hung on.

"Thank you, Alm," came Alfonse's voice through my swimming vision, and he stood up.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Alm asked as I rested my chin on Alfonse's shoulder, wishing the world would stop spinning.

"That's all right, but thanks anyway," Alfonse said as he adjusted his hold on me.

"Farewell, then," Alm said, his voice fading away as he left. "Give Kiran my best wishes."

It was silent as Alfonse continued our journey, and I shuddered as I felt a shiver crawl over my whole body. I held on tighter, desperate for more warmth. Where had all of the morning's sunshine gone? I began to cough again, my entire body convulsing with each gasp of breath.

"Hang on, Kiran," Alfonse said, his voice distant and warped. "We're almost there."

I didn't say anything except moan softly. Out of all of the weeks to be sick, it just _had_ to be during Alfonse's curse? How many days did he have left?

My blurred vision swum behind my half-closed eyelids, and I was beginning to feel my head droop. I was so tired...

I heard a door creak open, and we were greeted by the aroma of different herbs and homemade salves. I closed my eyes and could already feel myself drifting off as Alfonse began to speak to someone. I was growing close to falling asleep when I was lowered onto a bed, where I managed to feebly open my eyes to see blurred shapes looming over me, their faded voices incoherent.

Gradually they came into focus, and I saw that Alfonse was standing over me, accompanied by Mikoto, her daughter Sakura, and fellow healers Genny and Mirabelle. The five of them were speaking to each other, but I couldn't find any meaning in their voices and words. Suddenly Alfonse turned as he was about to leave, and I tried to sit up and call his name, but I was gently pushed back down and I managed to croak, "Alfonse, wait..."

He was quickly back at my side, and I relaxed somewhat. I desperately wanted to beg him not to leave on his searches without me and that I needed to be there, but I could only feebly open and close my mouth, and I felt my face twist with desperation and fear.

Alfonse's expression softened with understanding, and he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I waited for him to assure that he wouldn't dare leave me behind, but instead he said consolingly, "Everything will be all right, Kiran. Mikoto and the others will take care of you."

I shook my head, my watering eyes widening in fear. "No," I whispered, feeling panic cloud my mind. I squeezed his hand and choked out, " _Don't_ \--" But I was seized by another coughing fit, and I curled up on my side and hugged my arms to my chest as my body was racked with another round of spasms. I waited for it to pass like the other coughing attacks, but I felt panic rising when it was only growing more violent, and I could feel my head grow light from the lack of air, a metallic taste filling my mouth.

Suddenly a cool glass pressed against my lips and I tasted a bitter liquid as it trickled down my throat, and amazingly, my coughing ceased and the pressure in my chest lightened. I felt careful hands roll me onto my back, and someone lightly dabbed a cloth at the corner of my mouth.

"She's coughing up blood now!" Sakura whispered uncertainly, sounding afraid. "What do we do, Mother?"

Instead of answering her daughter's question, she spoke to Alfonse, her voice crisp and business-like.

"Prince Alfonse, could you lift Kiran's head to we can put a pillow underneath it?"

"Yes, Mikoto."

I felt his hand slide under the back of my head and lift my head, and I closed my eyes, unable to keep them open any further, and when my head was lowered it was cushioned by a plump, feather-filled pillow. I felt Alfonse's lips gently press to my forehead and he whispered, his breath stirring my hair, "Get some rest. I'll be back soon--I promise." And as he left, I fell asleep, my forehead tingling.  
  


⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Alfonse was concerned for Kiran. In so little time she had nearly been killed by his old best friend, almost was burned alive by Surtr, and nearly murdered by his father's old nemesis. Just when she was about to recover, something else threatened her. It almost seemed like fate itself had decided that she was destined for her life constantly being threatened.

Alfonse could tell something was wrong with Kiran as soon as she came into his view. There was a slight slump in her posture, her face was oddly flushed and her eyes were noticeably glassy, dark circles under her eyes. Alfonse's worry only increased when she gave the sticky buns a disinterested glance and sank in her seat with visual exhaustion, rubbing her throat in a pained grimace.

It didn't surprise Alfonse that her forehead felt feverish and damp with sweat. He had always known Kiran could be a bit reckless with her own well-being, but she had never fallen this seriously ill before, and it frightened him to see her so unwell.

Alfonse was grateful for Alm's help, assisting him with taking Kiran to the hospital wing. It was always reassuring on the fact that the castle had some of the best Healers from all over the diverse worlds, the most experienced being Mikoto. The motherly healer had never failed him once when it came to wounds, illnesses and injuries, and Alfonse was starting to feel hopeful until Kiran dropped onto her knees, coughing uncontrollably.

Alfonse had exchanged an alarmed look with Alm before dropping by her side, at a loss on how to help. He tried patting and stroking her back, but Alfonse doubted Kiran even noticed. Finally her coughing ceased and was reduced to shaky gasps when Alm spoke up, looking worried.

"I think this might be serious," Alm said, hovering uncertainly. "Shall I fetch someone?"

"No, it's all right," Alfonse said without looking away from the ailing tactician. "Just help her onto my back so I can carry her the rest of the way."

"On it."

Kiran didn't seem to even be fully conscious once she was secure on Alfonse's back. He could hear her uneven, labored breathing in his ear and his worry increased when he could feel the heat of her fever through his own clothing. Just how high was her temperature?

Kiran had another coughing fit on their way to the infirmary, and Alfonse could hear a painful rattling in the back of her throat. Once it ended she feebly slumped over his back, gasping for air.  
"Hang on, Kiran," he murmured. "We're almost there." If Kiran had heard, she gave no sign of it.

It was a relief to finally enter the infirmary, and before he could even open his mouth to call for the healer she was already at his side, her kind eyes sharpening in concern.

"Looks like we found the source of the mysterious coughing," she said, her tone low and humorless. "Thank you for bringing her in, Prince Alfonse. Place her here."

Kiran hung limp and lifeless in his arms when he lowered her, almost like an over-sized ragdoll. Was she supposed to be this light? Shouldn't she be heavier?

Approaching footsteps made Alfonse look up from Kiran and he saw Sakura, Genny and Mirabelle quickly join Mikoto's side.

"Oh no," Genny and Sakura whispered, and Mirabelle gave a sad shake of her head and sighed, "The foolish girl won't stop pushing herself! Someone must teach her her limits!"

Genny brushed back some of Kiran's damp hair that was clinging to her forehead. "Her fever is dangerously high," she murmured. 

"She's going to need some fluids, with a temperature like that," Mirabelle said. "I'm going to fetch some cold water and a sponge." As she left she gave Alfonse a chilly glance and threw her nose in the air as she pranced away.

"Sorry about her," Sakura said, cringing. "Mirabelle just has _really_ high standards for who she thinks Kiran should be with."

"Yeah, she's already yelled at me before," Alfonse said, remembering how angry she had been.

"Oh, dear," Sakura said sympathetically, although she held back a giggle.

"Would you like a seat, Prince Alfonse?" Genny offered, but he shook his head.

"No, I really must be leaving," Alfonse said. "But I appreciate the offer." He turned and was about to leave when Kiran's barely audible voice made him pause.

"Alfonse, wait..."

He quickly turned and saw her try to sit up but had Mikoto and Genny gently pressed her back onto her bed. Kiran was obviously trying to say something, her mouth struggling to form words. There was a frightened, desperate look in her feverish eyes, and Alfonse had a strong suspicion that she was trying to ask him not to leave her out of the next search mission. 

Trying to look more reassuring than he felt, he smiled warmly at her and squeezed her burning hand and said, "Everything will be all right, Kiran. Mikoto and the others will take care of you."

But this only seemed to agitate Kiran further, and she shook her head restlessly. "No," she whispered, stirring fretfully. " _Don't_ \--"

Kiran's voice cut off as she was unexpectedly consumed by another round of coughing, this one being her worst yet. She was nearly bent double, her entire body being racked in painful spasms each cough had left her. She was growing weaker as she was unable to draw any breath, and, and when blood burst from her mouth and trickled down the corner of her lip Alfonse spun to the other healers and exclaimed, "She can't breathe!"

But before he even finished speaking Mikoto was handed a glass bottle by Genny, and she pressed it to Kiran's lips. Alfonse watched the muscles in her throat constrict and release as she swallowed, and miraculously her coughing had eased away into painful gasping. Silently, Sakura and Genny rolled Kiran onto her back again, and Mikoto asked, "Prince Alfonse, could you lift Kiran's head to we can put a pillow underneath it?"

"Yes, Mikoto," Alfonse said, both eager to help and shaken by what he had just witnessed. He carefully lifted Kiran's head and tried to catch her eye, but she had closed them. She had finally run completely out of strength, and Alfonse could tell she was losing consciousness fast. When he placed her head back down, be bent over and planted a kiss on her burning forehead and whispered, "Get some rest. I'll be back soon--I promise."

Kiran gave no response, as she had finally lost consciousness.

Alfonse stood up. His worry and concern for Kiran had turned into genuine fear, and he forced himself to turn to Mikoto and the girls and ask, "What's wrong with her?"

"It's pneumonia," Mirabelle stated as she returned, holding a small sloshing ceramic bowl, a bulging and saturated sponge sitting in its center. Her misgivings for Alfonse seemed to have vanished, as the severity of her expression loosened and she handed him the bowl and sponge.

"Thank you," Alfonse said and his gratitude only increased when Genny pushed a chair behind him, giving him a place to sit. Thanking her, Alfonse took the seat and began to gently dab the cool sponge on Kiran's hot, sweating face. After a bit he mustered the courage to ask, "How bad is it?"

The three young girls exchanged uncertain glances and looked to Mikoto, who was watching Alfonse tend to the sick girl, her usually maternal face calculating. For a moment she didn't answer and pressed her fingers below Kiran's jawline, and Alfonse knew she was checking her pulse. She then looked closely at Kiran's lips and fingers, and when he did the same he felt his heart stir with fear when he saw that they were slightly tinged with purple.

"Her heart is beating irregularly and she's developing cyanosis," Mikoto said, her brow furrowing. "I'm also concerned with her weight loss."

"Weight loss?" Alfonse repeated, his fear increasing. He looked back at Kiran and was startled at how suddenly thin she looked. Usually being slender, Kiran was now alarmingly skinny, her cheekbones protruding more noticeably.

"How did I not notice?" He whispered, mortified that he had failed to catch on on something so serious and severe.

"It's not your fault," Mikoto said soothingly. "The weight loss happened over a gradual period of time, so it's unsurprising no one caught attention to it. Kiran must have started eating less to get more time to attend to her duties."

It was this when Alfonse was reminded how hungry Kiran had seemed all the time, and he now realized it was because of her dangerous, impromptu diet.

"It doesn't make sense," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She was fine just yesterday."

"Sometimes all it takes is a little push," Mikoto said sadly. "Kiran had already been under a lot of stress through these past few months, and I imagine her near murder and worry over you had worsened things. Did she engage in any exerting activities recently?"

"Yes, actually," Alfonse said, remembering yesterday. "She had just starting her sword training."

Mikoto nodded, still tenderly watching Kiran sleep. "That must have been what finally caused her to fall ill."

"It's my fault," Alfonse realized, grimacing. "She didn't want to start training, but..."

"It's not your fault, Prince Alfonse," Mikoto said, her tone unexpectedly stern. "If it's anyone's fault, it's Kiran's own recklessness."

Alfonse sighed, dipping the lukewarm sponge in the water to cool it. "What are the chances that Kiran recovers within the next week?"

 _Next week...was that really all I have left?_ Alfonse thought. He would have been a lot more frightened by this if he wasn't so worried over Kiran's well being.

"Depends," Mikoto said, hesitating slightly. "Since Kiran had caught it so recently, we can prevent it from getting any worse, so that might increase her speed of recovery considerably, maybe several days. But..."

"But what?" Alfonse asked, fearing the healer's answer.

Mikoto looked up from Kiran and into his eyes, her expression saddening. "If her condition deteriorates," she murmured, "it would take up to a month, minimum."

Alfonse was silent, and watched Kiran sleep. Even without being right beside her he could hear her wheezy, labored breathing, and he felt his already freezing heart crack.

"Oh, Kiran," he whispered as he softly sponged her scorching, sleeping face. "Why do you always seemed destined to suffer?"

To his slight surprise her eyelids fluttered open and Alfonse instantly scooted closer I her and lowered his head until it was nearly level with Kiran's.

"Kiran?" He murmured, his voice barely audible.

Kiran laboriously rolled her head to look at him, but Alfonse felt his stomach drop with fear at the lack of recognition in her eyes. They were barely open, and after several seconds her expression suddenly became fearful and there was a sharp intake of breath as she grabbed one of his hands. Her lips moved soundlessly, and Alfonse felt a stab of fear.

"Kiran?" He asked her in his softest voice. "Do you recognize me?"

But she didn't seem to have heard, and she tightened her grip and finally whimpered, "Please...don't...tell him..."

At a loss on what to do or say, Alfonse found himself asking, "Tell who?"

Suddenly there was a spark of recognition in her eyes, and she instantly relaxed, her once crushing grip on his hand slackening. Closing her eyes, she breathed, "Thank you...for...for not...me..." Her next words were unintelligible, and she fell unconscious, her hand going limp.

The only thing that was preventing Alfonse from being truly frightened was the fact that the sight of him was what got her to relax and fall asleep peacefully.

That's when Alfonse noticed that he and Kiran had an audience. Every other person in the room had been close by, watching, and everyone had an identical stunned expression.

Finally, Brady spoke.

"Anyone got anything out of that?"

Silently, everyone shook their heads.


	21. Looming Closure

Kiran was still unwell the following morning, so Alfonse and the others had no choice but to leave her behind in their search. He felt more than a little guilty, remembering her desperate eyes that were dim with her fever and exhaustion. Sadly, with just under a week left Alfonse couldn't afford to wait any longer in their searches.

It was strange, choosing who would accompany their searches, as Kiran was the one who usually chose. Without her guidance it took longer to choose the Heroes he thought would be the most well-suited for their mission. Since they were heading through some heavily-wooded areas, Alfonse decided not to include any of the cavalry and armored Heroes, and speed was their goal.

Since Hel had the ability to fly Alfonse asked all of the archer Heroes that Kiran summoned, which was a group composing of Lucina, Nina, Niles, Jamke, Rebecca, Lyn, Fjorm, Alm, Faye, Takumi, Setsuna, Louise, Virion, Klein, Innes, Jeorge, Sue, Norne, Clarisse, Lyon, Python, Rolf and finally Gordin.

Alfonse had Anna fetch all twenty-three of the Heroes that composed of villagers, outcasts, nobleman and royalty and had them all gather in the Commons Room. They all conversed together in hushed voices in a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as Alfonse waited for his sister and Anna to join them.

"Why do you think the prince only summoned archers?" Lyn asked Lyon, who frowned and confessed, "I'm unsure. It was strange, telling Ephraim and Eirika not to join me for this meeting."

"Isn't it _great_ that we're on a team together?" Faye gushed to Alm, who looked slightly taken aback at her blatant enthusiasm.

"Er, yeah," Alm said, and after seeing the disappointed expression on the young girl's face he sincerely added, "It has been a while since we both fought together. I assume you've been keeping up with your training?"

"You know it!" Faye exclaimed. Punching Alm playfully on the shoulder, she teased, "What about _you_ , you slacker?"

"Is Kiran still unwell?" Lucina pondered aloud, her gaze drifting towards the direction to the hospital wing. She was one of the most closest Heroes to Kiran, and her concern was evident.

"I would assume so, as the Askran prince was the one who called for us," Takumi said, absently twanging the string on his bow, _Fujin Yumi._

"Wish _I_ was the one resting in the hospital wing," Python muttered, stretching his arms as he gaped his jaws in a lazy yawn. "What are we doing here, anyway?"

"How _dare_ you say that!" Nina hotly retorted, bristling. "Do you think Kiran is _enjoying_ being super sick? Do you think she _wants_ to be left behind? Huh? _Do_ ya?"

Alfonse was relieved at the final arrival of Anna and Sharena, and he felt a small pang of annoyance when he saw that both girls had damp hair and carried the smell of soap and shampoo. _Why_ did women always prioritize bathing before everything?

"All right everyone, settle down," Alfonse said, as Nina's chest was swelling in indignation at Python's lack of caring in her scolding. "Now that my sister and the Commander are here, we can start."

Everyone fell silent, their eyes on Alfonse.

He cleared his throat and continued. "As you all know, we are going to conduct another search for Hel--"

"Wait, you're _trying_ to find her?" Python muttered, his voice just audible enough for everyone to hear, resulting in some glares and shushing.

Although Alfonse was accustomed to behavior like this, it was still an unpleasant reminder that not everyone present was 100% willing to give up their lives for a foreign cause. Pretending not to hear, Alfonse went on.

"I have gathered all of you here because of two of Hel's weaknesses: her refusal to ally with others, and she can fly, and is thus susceptible to skilled archers like you all." He gave a small pause as his audience appreciated these words, but hastened onward. "With all of you at my side, Hel will stand no chance against your strength and bravery.

"If you are not comfortable with these odds, then you are allowed not to participate. There is no shame in choosing to fight another day. If you decide not to join this search raid, then you are free to leave."

Alfonse, expecting a large portion of the crowd to break off, was pleasantly startled on the fact that not a single archer among the group decided to leave. There was an uncertain face or two, but even the fact that Python chose to stay gave Alfonse unexpected morale, and he finished by saying, "We will leave in half an hour. Dismissed."

"Wait!" Rebecca suddenly called, raising her hand.

"Yes, Rebecca?" Alfonse asked the young village girl.

Looking unconcerned with all of the adults staring at her, Rebecca raised her voice and asked, "Is Kiran okay? Last I heard, she was burning hot!" There were some amused glances, but everyone remained quiet, waiting for Alfonse's answer.

"I'm...not sure," Alfonse confessed. "But I'm going to check on her right after this, and I will try to spread the word on her update. In the mean time, if you all still have questions, Commander Anna will be more than able to provide proper answers."

Relieved to be spared from further questioning, Alfonse quickly departed and began to hurry to the infirmary. Accompanying footsteps made him realize that he had company, and he glanced to the side and saw that Sharena had joined him.

"Can I come with you?" She asked, clasping her hands under her chin in a pleading manner. "Please? It's been _ages_ since we've last talked!"

"Ah, sure," Alfonse said, although was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to be alone with her, aside from the healers' company. "But remember that Kiran is resting, so try to stay quiet. If we're lucky, she'll be asleep."

" _Lucky_?" Sharena complained as both she and her brother rounded a corner and entered the corridor that led to the hospital wing. "Then we won't be able to talk to her!"

"That might be for the best," Alfonse said, and he stopped right in front of the entrance. "Kiran was devastated that she couldn't join us, so don't mention anything about Hel in front of her. And remember--"

"Keep my voice down, I _know_ ," Sharena sighed, rolling her eyes. "Now let's go!"

With surprising consideration she gave the door a soft knock, and carefully opened the door so it didn't creak loudly when it moved. It was quiet and peaceful, all of the arched windows open to allow in fresh air and sunshine for the patients to enjoy.

Alfonse quickly spotted Mikoto, who was quietly grinding something in a small ceramic bowl with a mortar and pestle, and when she caught his eye she gave a welcoming smile, something he took as a good omen.

"She's asleep," Mikoto murmured, beckoning Alfonse and Sharena to follow her. The walk to Kiran's bed was quick, and sure enough, Kiran was in a deep sleep. Her expression was relaxed and peaceful, and Alfonse was relieved to hear her breathing soft and steady. He felt her forehead and it was soft with lotion and no longer feverish, and he withdrew his hand with a sigh of relief.

"She looks a lot better," Sharena whispered, her face glowing with joy and comfort.

"Yes," Mikoto said, although there was a slight falter to her smile. "However, she's still in a very fragile condition. I've prescribed her some medicinal potions that have to be taken at the exact dosage and time. If not, it will greatly increase her chances if a relapse."

"Relapse?" Sharena asked, confused.

"The sickness coming back," Alfonse explained, and Mikoto nodded.

"Yes," she said. "And if a relapse were to happen, she would become a lot sicker than she had been before, so Kiran needs to be carefully monitored at all times."

"I understand, thank you, Mikoto," Alfonse said, nodding gratefully.

"It's no problem, Prince Alfonse," the maternal healer said, smiling kindly.

"Well, I guess I better leave," Sharena said, turning to leave. "I'll see you all later, I guess."

"Farewell, Princess Sharena," Mikoto said, bowing slightly.

Alfonse turned back to Kiran. Despite knowing that she was no longer in critical condition and was now sleeping peacefully, he couldn't bring himself to leave. A soft sliding sound caught his attention, and he saw that Mikoto was pushing him a chair.

Thanking her, Alfonse took a seat beside Kiran and took her hand. The bones in her fingers felt sharper than normal, and he mentally reminded himself to speak to her about her eating habits once she left the hospital wing.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Alfonse told her. He wasn't sure if she would be able to hear him through her sleep, but it still felt like the right thing to do. "You gave us all quite a scare, suddenly falling sick like that."

He softly caressed his thumb on the back of Kiran's hand as he said, "It pains me that you never put yourself above others. You're important too, and we all care about you, so please, Kiran, take better care of yourself."

Kiran gave no response and continued to sleep on peacefully.

"I'll talk to you as soon as I return," Alfonse said softly. He gently planted a kiss on the back of Kiran's hand and placed it back at her side. As he stood up to leave, he gave her one last glance.

"I promise," he quietly added, and left, closing the door softly behind him.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

There was one last surprise before Alfonse and the others left for the search for Hel. Both male and female Robin had approached him, looking slightly sheepish.

"We couldn't help but overhear," Female Robin said, looking apologetic.

"It's just, with Kiran not present, you don't have a tactician with you," Male Robin added. "And, forgive us for saying this, but there are a few components we feel are missing from your plan."

"I would be happy to hear your ideas," Alfonse said, truly sincere. "Shall we discuss things in a more private room?"

"Yes, let's," Both Robins said in unison.

"May we join you?" A new voice asked, and it turned out to be from Soren. Standing at his sides were Lewyn, Katarina and Jagen, looking grumpy as ever.

"By all means," Alfonse said. "You are all welcome to join and give me your best advice."

It turns out that Alfonse's plan was missing more than a "few components." After discussing and sharing ideas to each other, Alfonse had to recruit an entirely new army to join his archers. After some careful debate and speculation, Alfonse and the other tacticians had decided to choose an ally to accompany themselves and another to join the archer party.

Both Robins chose Chrom. There was a little awkwardness, as there was only one Chrom and there were two Robins, both of opposite gender. Soren had chosen Ike, Lewyn had chosen Seliph, Katarina had elected Marth, and Jagen, looking thoroughly annoyed that his choice had been taken had begrudgingly decided on Caeda.

When it came to Alfonse's choice, he had nearly automatically said that he would select Kiran, but with her being temporarily incapacitated, he decided to select Fjorm instead. When he asked her, she was oddly flustered and confused until Alfonse explained that Kiran was unable to attend. Then, of course, there was choosing the Heroes to aid the archers.

As Alfonse debated with the others, he felt a flicker of surprise on how unexpectedly difficult it was to choose among the massive cohorts. When asked Kiran would instantly recite the names of the Heroes she needed, as if it was obvious. At this point Alfonse truly appreciated all the hard work Kiran put into being his tactician.

Finally, after much debating and minor disagreements, the individuals to aid the archers were chosen the strongest types of each Heroes: Duma and Idunn for manaketes, Ephraim and Hector for armored units, Roy and Edelgard for infantry units, Azura and Nino for flying units and Reinhardt and Olwen for cavalry units.

Finally, much sooner than Alfonse had expected, they were off. As they made their journey, Alfonse joined Anna, Sharena and Eir to speak to one another. Even with all of the Heroes and Eir's extra company, everything felt strangely lonely without Kiran.

"We must kill Hel," Anna said to Eir, who was riding her pegasus that was trotting dutifully beside the others. "That is how we will save Alfonse. We're out of options."

 _Save Alfonse_... The words sounded alien, coming out of Anna's mouth. Sometimes Alfonse forgot that the objective was saving his life, and not just defeating Hel once and for all.

"Most legends hold that a curse is broken when the one who laid it is killed," Alfonse mentioned, and looked hopefully at Eir, Hel's daughter. "Princess Eir, if Hel were to die, what would happen?"

Eir frowned, as if the thought of her mother's defeat had never occurred to her. After a few moments she gave a small shake of her head and said, "I do not know. My mother...has never been killed."

Although Alfonse had a feeling that would be Eir's answer, he took no satisfaction in being right.

"That shouldn't stop us from trying!" Sharena exclaimed, holding up a clenched fist.

"Not only would killing Hel abate the threat to Askr, it could save Alfonse," Anna pointed out. Then, raising her voice she called to the Heroes, "Keep your eyes peeled, everyone! Our objective is to find Hel and eliminate her!"

Not for the first time, Alfonse hoped that all of this searching would come to a final success. Not only would it make Askr safe once more, he would no longer be doomed to a countdown and it would free Eir from her toxic relationship from her mother.

 _Please_ , Alfonse prayed, hoping the gods would listen to his plea. _Let this all end with everyone safe and happy._

They searched for hours upon hours. They encountered bandit groups, aggressive exiles, nomadic travelers and, on some hopeful occasions, small armies of Hel that were easily wiped out with no casualties to the Order.

To Alfonse's dismay, the sun was descending on the horizon, and everyone was visibly tired from all of the traveling, not to mention hungry and thirsty from the lack of provisions. As Alfonse watched the sun begin to sink, he turned to his army and said in a strong and carrying voice, "It is time for us to head back to the castle. Thank you all for your support and strength in this journey."

"No, we can't leave yet!" Sharena gasped. "There's still more time to search!"

Alfonse looked at his sister, who was blinking back tears, a sight that was growing more common as the countdown passed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "No, it's time to head back."

To his surprise, Sharena angrily pulled away and glared at him through streaming eyes. "There's still time!" She insisted, her voice trembling. "Look, the sun hasn't even set yet!"

 _Oh, Sharena_ , Alfonse thought affectionately. _I'm going to miss your childish stubbornness._

"No, Sister," he said patiently. "We need to use the last of the daylight to find our way back home."

"Fine!" Sharena said hotly, her face screwed up with anger and the effort not to cry. "I'll go look by myself then!"

Alfonse sighed. It was too late for this. That, and as the sun sank lower, the temperature in his chest grew colder. It was like this every evening since he had first been cursed. As each day ended, the invisible dagger of ice sank deeper into his chest, leaving him in extreme pain and exhausted. And it only got worse as each day passed.

"Come on, everyone!" Anna commanded, giving Alfonse an anxious glance. "Let's head back! Onwards!"

Alfonse was afraid that Sharena would resist and separate herself from the group, but she finally gave the reddening horizon one last miserable look, and turned with the others as they headed back.

The sky grew darker alarmingly fast, and by the time they had arrived back at the castle the sky was pitch-black and glittering with thousands of stars, like tiny, scattered diamonds.

No one spoke much as they all departed and went their ways. Once Alfonse was free of company, he allowed himself a pained grimace, and he gave a barely audible moan as he placed a hand over his chest. Never once in his life had he experienced pain like this, so fierce and chilling.

 _I can't keep on like this_ , Alfonse thought dimly as his vision was growing tinged with shadows. As much as he disliked being fussed over, he knew that he needed to be sent to the infirmary, and he forced his way over there before the nightly agony got any worse.

As soon as Alfonse opened the door he was greeted by a rib-crushing hug and his vision was obscured by frizzy, untidy hair, smelling blissfully familiar of flower blossoms.

"Oh, thank the gods you're back!" Kiran gasped in his ear. "I got so scared when it got dark and no one returned yet!"

The shock of Kiran's unexpected energy and the weight of her hold suddenly became too much for Alfonse, and he felt his legs crumple beneath him, making the both of them tumble to the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kiran wailed as she released her crippling grip. "Oh, Alfonse, I'm _sorry!_ "

Keen to get her to stop apologizing Alfonse forced himself into a sitting position and grabbed Kiran's hand to pull her into his chest where he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"It's all right, it's all right," he soothed, running his tired, cold hands through her warm, silky hair, brushing through the tangles. "I'm okay."

Kiran relaxed and leaned into his chest, but before either of them could get comfortable an indignant voice called, "Hey, you two! Get off the floor, it's unsanitary!"

Brady marched into view and picked up both Alfonse and Kiran by their collars and practically dragged them to their beds. Once he finally released them he growled, "Don't start getting cozy yet, lovebirds. _You_ , Prince Alfonse, need to be _lying down_ , and _YOU_ , Kiran, need to take another dose of your medicine!"

Thankfully Mikoto came to the rescue, holding a small glass vial. "Lower your voice, Brady, it's all right."

"Sorry, ma'am," Brady muttered, looking abashed. "It's just that these damn kids are so busy looking after each other, they can't look after _themselves_!" He sniffed and tearfully added, "It's so _romantic_ , goddamn it, but _at what cost?"_

There was some giggling, and Genny and Sakura came into view, shaking with laughter.

"Yes, yes, I agree," Mikoto said, a note of amusement in her voice as she handed the vial to Kiran. "But we must all keep our emotions in check for the sake of our patients."

"All right, all right," Brady sighed, dabbing the corners of his eyes with his sleeves, and left the scene, still muttering about reckless lovebirds and how damn _cute_ it was.

"That Brady is quite the character," Mikoto said, shaking her head.

"I like him," Sakura said, giggling again. "He's funny."

"He said he'll read my stories," Genny said, smiling shyly. "He told me that he's a sucker for romance, and..." She laughed and added, "and he told me not to make them too sad, or he'll cry!"

There was more laughter, and Alfonse smiled tensely (his chest was really starting to hurt) and told Kiran, "Take your medicine, Kiran. We don't want you to get a relapse."

"Oh, right," she said, looking at the object at her hand in surprise, as if she had forgotten she was still holding it. Uncorking it, she drained it in a swallow and grimaced at the taste but made no complaints.

"Good, Kiran," Mikoto said approvingly. "I know you're feeling better, but you're still going to need to take that solvent for several more days."

"All right," Kiran said, looking distracted. "I will."

"Good," Mikoto said again, turning her attention to Alfonse. "Just lie down, Prince Alfonse, and we'll take a look at you."

Alfonse's first instincts were to assure that he was fine, but then he reminded himself that he didn't come to the hospital wing just to see Kiran, so he reclined in his bed and allowed himself to relax. It helped a bit that Kiran's bed was right beside his.

"Here, Prince Alfonse," came a shy voice, and Nanna approached him, handing him a vial that was similar to Kiran's. "I know it won't take away the pain from your curse, but..."

"Thank you, Nanna," Alfonse said gratefully, accepting the the small, glass object. He uncorked it and tipped it into his mouth, and an unpleasant bitter flavor filled his mouth and trickled down his throat. Resisting the urge to grimace, he handed the vial back to the young woman, wondering if his solution was as bitter as Kiran's.

"Do you two need anything?" Brady barked, coming back into view. He reached behind him and seemingly from nowhere pulled out a large tray balancing a steaming teapot, some teacups and a plate of cookies. "All I got is some tea and cookies!" Then, remembering to lower his voice, he held out the tray and quietly muttered, "Want some?"

"Yes, please," Alfonse said, eager to rid his mouth of the unpleasant aftertaste. He allowed Brady to pour him a cup of jasmine tea, and he took a few cookies off the tray. "Thank you, Brady."

"That doesn't count as your supper," Kiran said, accepting the drink but brushing away the baked treats.

"I know, I know," Alfonse said, blowing on his hot drink. For a moment he considered telling Kiran that he knew of her unhealthy diet, but he decided to mention it later, not keen to start a potential argument. Instead, he drank his tea and snacked on his cookies before bed, thinking of the days when he did the same thing as a child, unbeknownst to his parent's knowledge.

It was a cozy night, with Kiran and the healers for company. It was a pity that it marked the end of his fifth day through the curse.

_Four more days left._


	22. Final Wish

Kiran seemed to have pulled a miraculous recovery seemingly overnight, but everyone knew it was all because of Mikoto's endless experience in healing, Genny's deft and steady hands and Brady's keen memory and persistence that all led to Kiran's improvement in health.

Words couldn't express Alfonse's relief for this. Just the mere memory of seeing Kiran so ill left him haunted and he couldn't bear the thought of her dying before him. He was unsure how he would even handle it, if he were to be honest.

Although, despite Kiran's cheerful and energetic attitude returning full swing, there were still signs that she was not as recovered as she seemed. For one thing she was easily exhausted; Just crossing a single corridor while talking left her weak and breathless, and it was not difficult to tire her out.

And there was the fact that she still had her cough. While it wasn't as severe as it had been before, Kiran would be often interrupted with coughing and an occasional splutter. As much as Alfonse knew that it wasn't as serious as it had been before, just hearing it still turned his blood cold.

Simply put, Kiran was now able to return to her duties as before, the only hindrance being the handmade pills Mikoto and Brady made her. According to them, if she continued to take them at the right times, then Kiran will have completely fought off the sickness within three to six months.

Still, despite all this, Alfonse was still concerned. The last time Kiran had acknowledged his curse when when she had first fallen ill, and now she was acting as if they had never even heard of Hel. He knew this wasn't something Kiran would forget so easily, so finally the morning after she recovered he caught her in the corridor that led to the breakfast hall, speaking to Gunnthrá. For a moment he hesitated, noticing the strained expression on Kiran's face.

Just then, Gunnthrá caught Alfonse's eye, and Kiran, noticing Gunnthrá's attention shifting, turned and saw him. There was the tinest flicker of surprise in her expression, as if she had not been expecting him to appear so suddenly. Then, in alarming speed all of the tension vanished and was replaced with her typical, dimpled smile.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Alfonse asked, halting in his steps. He had a suspicion on what was making Kiran so anxious, but he knew better than to pry.

"Nope, we were just finishing up!" Kiran said, her tone a tad too cheerful. She gave the Níflan princess a slightly apologetic glance, and Gunnthrá's smile was a little too understanding. Behind Kiran's back, Gunnthrá's gaze shifted to Alfonse, and her smile changed into a more gentle yet strangely pleading look, and he soon understood her unspoken message.

Please be gentle with her.

"Well, I will leave you two alone," Gunnthrá said, sudden business-like. "If you excuse me, Reinhardt is waiting for me in the dining hall."

And, with a graceful sweep of her sleeve, she had gone.

For a moment Alfonse had forgotten what he had been meaning to say and he blurted, "Is there something happening between Gunnthrá and Reinhardt?"

Kiran smiled vaguely. "Probably." Then her smile faltered and she asked in a smaller voice, "So... You wanted to speak to me?"

"Ah, yes," Alfonse said, suddenly remembering. His stomach had tightened into an unpleasant knot and he was consciously aware of his chilled heart beating in his chest. He swallowed and uncertainly began to speak.

"Kiran, about me and my...my curse..."

What little smile Kiran had on her face instantly dropped, and her eyes flicked away from him. "Alfonse," she murmured, her voice just above a whisper.

"Please, Kiran," Alfonse pleaded, longing for her to meet his eyes once more. "Just let me say what I have to say."

Kiran gave a tiny nod of assent, her piercing intelligent eyes flicking back up towards his.

Taking courage from this silent gesture, he continued.

"Kiran...after this...when I'm gone..."

Kiran's head drooped down, and her hair hung in front of her face. The misery in the gesture made Alfonse pause midspeech, and he fought the desire to place a consoling hand on her shoulder or slowly brush away the hair that was shielding her eyes. Instead, he said, "Once my countdown is up, I forbid you to pursue after Hel and her army."

Kiran's face snapped up, her eyes wide with alarm, and Alfonse knew that she had plans to and was startled that he knew. She blinked, her expression turning from surprise to anger.

"You can't do that!" She protested.

"I can," Alfonse said, his tone both gentle and sad.

For a moment Kiran looked like she was going to argue, and after several seconds of internal struggling upon the realization that he spoke the truth, and finally stiffened, her expression hardening.

"Maybe you can order me," she said coldly, "but there's nothing you can do to actually _make_ me follow them."

For a moment all Alfonse could do was to stare at her, completely stunned. Ever since he had first met Kiran, she was all about following rules, orders and commands to the point that it gave her constant anxiety. But now...

To Alfonse's surprise, he chuckled. It was hollow with defeat, but with genuine amusement.

"What's so funny?" Kiran asked suspiciously.

Alfonse sighed. "You've changed, Kiran."

"Change can be a good thing," she said, her voice tense with preparation to argue.

"I suppose it can be," Alfonse said, not in the mood to argue. Then, expression turning serious again, he said, "Kiran, I care about you too much for you to do something so stupid. Yes, Kiran, _stupid_ ," he added sternly when Kiran bristled with indignation. "So please, heed my final wish-- don't dedicate the rest of your life trying to accomplish the impossible. Don't try to avenge me; it's not worth it."

To his embarrassment, Kiran's eyes were filling with tears, yet she didn't seem to have noticed. She was still staring at him, an indescribable look filling her face. Finally, she spoke.

"I will, _if_ your death comes to pass."

Alfonse internally grimaced. If? Was it possible that Kiran still believed that it was possible to defeat Hel before his countdown ended?

"But," Kiran added, blinking the wetness out of her eyes, "that's only if we're unable to save you, which we _will_."

 _Oh, Kiran..._

"Don't give me that look!" Kiran snapped, looking truly angry now.

"What look?" Alfonse asked, confused.

"That pitying expression," Kiran said, clenching her hands into fists. "It makes you look..." Her words trailed away, her expression suddenly pained.

"Like that?" Alfonse asked, unsure what expression to show, as all he felt was deep sadness and regret that seemed to weigh down his very bones.

Kiran shook her head and said, "Like you gave up." Her voice broke, and she rubbed one of her eyes with the heel of her hand.

Alfonse was baffled. One of his biggest goals was to spread as much positive morale and hope as he could, and never once did he feel like he had given up. Truth be honest, a small part of him was a little stung that Kiran would accuse him of such a thing.

"I don't understand," he said, frowning.

Kiran lowered her hand from her face, closed her eyes and took a steadying, calming breath. Reopening her eyes, she said, "Your time isn't up yet, yet you're already acting like there's no hope left to be found."

At that moment, Alfonse realized that she was right. He had already resigned to the fate of his death, and remembered the dull heaviness of disappointment after each and every search. He was so weary of that dreadful sensation that he subconsciously decided to stop hoping for the near impossible--it was less emotionally exhausting.

"Let me make a promise to you," Kiran said, a dangerous spark igniting in her eyes. "I am _not_ going to let you die. I _refuse_ to let Hel take you away from me."

The fiery blaze in her eyes...Alfonse had already seen it once before. It was a shadow of the fury that she radiated when using Njörðr, and Alfonse was instantly reminded of raw power that she was emitting. He vaguely remember her collapsing at his side when she stopped using the spell, and on closer inspection he could still see some of the burns that had covered her entire body. And that thing that Hel had said, about Kiran risking her life by just attempting the spell...

"All right, then," he said. "You win this one. But...promise me one thing. And this is something different," he added when he saw Kiran deeply furrow her brow, always a danger sign.

"What?"

"That spell, Njörðr," he said, lightly brushing a hand on her cheek, removing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "No matter what happens, don't _ever_ use it again."

Kiran bit her lip anxiously and hesitated, but finally nodded. She placed a hand over his on her cheek, and she closed her eyes for several moments. Suddenly Alfonse felt as if there was an unspoken phrase that needed to be said, and with a jolt he remembered what Kiran had said to him the evening when he had tried to cut ties with her.

He could feel those same words pressing against his lips from inside his mouth, but his jaws seemed to have locked, his vocal chords paralyzed. Alfonse knew that he was running out of time to reciprocate to Kiran, but something was holding him back--something cold and binding, like steel chains.

 _I'm afraid_ , Alfonse realized, and felt a rush of shame. Keen for the feeling to go away, he smiled and lightly grasped Kiran's chin and lifted it. Returning the smile, Kiran stood on her toes and kissed him, her warm breath tickling his face. He could taste a fruity yet medicinal flavoring on her lips, and began to run a hand through her hair. Things were starting to feel promising, until an irritated voice spoke.

"Hey, you two! What did I tell you?"

Alfonse forced himself away from Kiran and saw that Anna had spotted them, hands on her hips, bundles of scrolls tucked under both arms.

Alfonse could feel some heat rush to his face, then fought back another chuckle when Kiran, equally irked, demanded, "Do you _mind_ , Commander? We're in the middle of something."

Anna scowled, although Alfonse could tell that she was resisting the urge to smile.

"Yes, I _do_ mind," she said. "I could do with some of my duties without you two kissing and trying to make babies every two minutes!"

Kiran's entire face flushed red, suddenly unable to find a retort. After a heated silence she muttered, "It was just that one time..."

Without thinking, Alfonse blurted, "Actually..." but his voice trailed off at the expressions on both Anna's face and Kiran's.

"What?" They both exclaimed, Anna with a mixture of incredibility and curiosity, Kiran with wide and confused eyes. He could practically see her mind racing as she tried to recall what he was talking about, and then it finally occurred to Alfonse that there was a possibility that Kiran wouldn't remember, as she had been exhausted to the point of faintness.

"Do pray tell, Your Highness," Anna said, her eyebrows raised until they were nearly concealed under her bangs. "I'm sure me and the rest of us want to hear about that other time."

Too late, Alfonse realized that they had attracted an audience. He spotted Kiran's girlfriends consisting of Camilla, Lucina, Azura, Mae, Nina and Ophelia, all watching him with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

_Oh gods. How much had they heard?_

Alfonse looked back at Kiran, who had pulled her hood over her head, only the bottom of her scarlet face visible. As if she was unable to bear the staring, she buried her face in his chest, and in a mortified whisper she asked, " _What. Are. You. Talking about_?"

The excited expression Ophelia's face faltered. "Do you really not remember?" she asked, sounding positively disappointed.

" _Nooooo_ ," Kiran wailed softly, and Alfonse felt a rush of guilt and awkwardly patted her back consolingly.

Suddenly Anna laughed airily and said, "Oh, come on you two, I was only teasing." Then, to the small crowd, "All right everyone, I'm sure we all have better things to do than embarrassing these two into oblivion."

To Alfonse's hugest and utmost relief, the crowd of girls broke away, Nina and Ophelia beaming. As they passed, Nina whispered, " _Come_ on?" to Ophelia, and they burst into giggles. Lucina gave them a bewildered look and apologetically shrugged to Alfonse and Kiran before walking out of view.

When they were finally alone, Kiran said in her softest and tiniest whisper, "For the record, I actually do remember... But it wasn't what it looked like!"

"If you say so," Alfonse said slowly, enjoying the expression on Kiran's face, as she looked unsure whether to be annoyed or embarrassed. Finally she sheepishly smiled, her face still pink.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

The nightmares were getting worse. It used to begin with all of us, me, Alfonse, Anna and Sharena all facing Hel, our army consisting of every Hero I've ever summoned behind us. We were poised for battle, tightly gripping our weapons in preparation to use them. I clearly remembered that the air itself seemed to be holding its breath, the tension dense enough to physically touch.

Then, a scream cut through the silence. We all spun on our heals and saw that, one by one, blood would burst out of each and every Hero, as if an invisible blade was slicing through them. I could see everyone I've ever cared for being slaughtered then drop to the ground with dull thuds. Each heartbeat that passed, someone, a loved one, a friend, a beloved ally, died.

 _Thud_. Azura crumpled to the ground, a startlingly scarlet puddle slowly spreading below her.

 _Thud_. Celica wailed in agony as the unseeable blade sliced across her chest, and she fell into Alm's arms, who was then instantly killed by another swipe of the weapon.

 _Thud_. All of the tiny manaketes, wide-eyed in confusion and terror were cut down with ease.

 _Thud_. Then it was Lucina, and just as Chrom saw her dropping body, he was gone too.

 _Thud_. Ephraim dropped to his knees and slumped forward, his half-open eyes vacant and unseeing.

I tried to help, to demand for Hel to stop, but my entire being was frozen, and I watched all of my friends and closest allies gradually drop dead, their lives snuffed out as easily as a snap.

Finally, it was me, Sharena, Anna and Alfonse. In unison we all lunged forward in an attempt to avenge everyone who was just murdered, but, like the others before, Anna and Sharena were taken down, this time by Hel and her gleaming scythe.

It was just me and Alfonse now. 

Somehow I knew what would happen next. I saw Hel turn to Alfonse and raised her weapon, and I shut my eyes and heard the whisper of a blade cutting through flesh, then the thud at my feet.

I wait for Hel to finish me off, but she doesn't. I force my eyes open, and I'm all alone, everyone I've ever cared about dead.

_I'm alone._

At that point I would jerk awake, my bedclothes and sheets clinging to my body from cold sweat. I'm breathless and frantic, gasping for air as I recalled everything I had just seen. Then I would realize it was just a dream, and nothing else.

The next nightmare I was beginning to experience began differently.

We were back where Alfonse was once cursed in the first place. It was once again me, Alfonse, Sharena and Anna, and Eir. We're all alone, and not a breath of wind stirred the landscape.

Finally, Eir spoke.

"The appointed time has arrived. Death is nearly here."

I exchange a look with Alfonse, Anna and Sharena, and we all give a terse nod in unison.

No one spoke as Hel ascended in front us, smiling in placid satisfaction. We all spring into fighting stances, but Hel ignored us and descended on Alfonse, caressing his pale cheek with an emaciated hand.

"Mortal," she purred, her coal-bright eyes gleaming from deep inside their sockets. "Now is the time for your life to end."

I tried to move, but like my previous dream was helplessly petrified.

Alfonse gave a pained gasp and attempted to speak, his voice strained. "I... I can't..."

"There is no escape," Hel said, savoring the sight of the struggling prince, the corners of her black lips curving upward. "So many gave tried so desperately."

Wordlessly, she raised her scythe, and it gleamed eerily. 

"The time has come. My scythe is ready."

Alfonse feebly turned his head towards me, his eyes bleak with misery and regret.

"Kiran," he murmured, "I'm so sorry."

This time I didn't close my eyes, and I would wake up hysterical, half-tangled in my blankets. I must have screamed, because my door spun open and the two soldiers who guarded the corridor ran in, instantly searching for an attacker.

It happened another two nights, and after each time the guards burst in I insist that I'm fine, but beg and plead for them not to tell anyone about this, especially Alfonse.

It got to the point one morning where I finally confronted Gunnthrá, desperate for the tight terrors to end. After I briefly explained my nightmares, I asked, "Is there... Is there a chance that I'm seeing things that might come to pass?"

Gunnthrá's advice, although spoken gently with a kind voice, was not helpful.

"Sometimes when one is very stressed," she said softly, gently grasping my hands in a motherly fashion. "They can experience nightmares of unspeakable things. While there is undoubtedly some truth to what you have seen, they may be very well just that--a dream; nothing more, nothing less."

But the heaviness in her sky-blue eyes told me that she was mostly trying to comfort me, and I was about to ask the Níflan princess something else when we noticed Alfonse, and I automatically plastered a smile on my face, not wanting to concern him.

After our talk and our promises were made, a sudden idea popped into my head. If I were to do what I was thinking, then Alfonse would be saved, simple as that. The potential aftermath of my choice pained me to think about, and there was the possibility that, at best, I would only buy us time, but I forced those thoughts away and comforted myself that Alfonse was no longer doomed to die.

Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.


	23. The Plan

If my second nightmare was a true prophecy on what was to come, then my plan should be easy. It was practically foolproof.

I just...couldn't tell anyone about it.

In the mean time, I had to spend what little time Alfonse had left right by his side, as I had vowed, and I scheduled another sword fighting lesson, although this time Ike wasn't invited.

Something changed in me, after coming up with my plan. All of my willpower and energy seemed to have tripled, and after some warming up I went through the typical drills Alfonse gave me from last time.

At one point I noticed that Alfonse was looking rather distracted, and a daring thought suddenly struck me. I turned my head to Alfonse, who was reading off of a roll of parchment on all of the notes he had taken from my training. He was obviously distracted from me, pressing one of his knuckles against his top lip thoughtfully, as his eyes scanned his neat handwriting, his eyes slowly moving side to side as he silently read.

The perfect time to strike.

In a speed I didn't know I possessed I lunged forward and swung with all of my strength, aiming at his left shoulder. I was almost certain that he wouldn't notice in time, but with speed that I didn't think was possible he drew _Fólkvangr_ and raised it just in time to block my blow. Since I had upgraded to steel swords, there was a satisfying _clang!_ and a shower of sparks rained forth and I felt the vibrations run all the way to my shoulder.

The action must have been mostly instinctive, because he blinked, looking both startled and confused, then realized what had happened.

Bewildered, he asked, " _Kiran?_ Wh--"

Not wanting to give him a chance to recover, I withdrew and lunged again, this time from a different approach. Alfonse shifted to block me but I feinted and I aimed in an upward swipe.

Thus began our sparring session. I had a suspicion that either Alfonse was going easy on me or was still trying to catch up on what was happening. After maybe several seconds he went from defense, to offense. However, I noticed that he was still holding back, and I soon realized that this went from a sneak attack to a test of my skills.

Soon we pulled apart and began to cautiously circle each other, our swords poised and ready.

We were both breathless, me more than him, but I was pleased to see sweat bread his brow, his blue eyes sharp with concentration.

My thoughts grew distracted as I couldn't resist but admire the way he looked in battle. His slight boyishness hardened into something that truly resembled his father--strong and powerful.

I then began to wonder other things about Alfonse, mostly of his sturdy and more than well-built physique, when suddenly he darted forward, jammed his elbow into my gut and disarmed me, my sword clattering to the ground several feet away.

Startled and caught off guard, I stumbled and hugged my arms to my abdomen, struggling to draw breath. As I finally managed to catch a gasp of air before beginning to cough, Alfonse realized at what he had done, looking horrorstruck and ran to my side.

"Kiran! I'm so, so sorry! Are you okay?" He apologized over and over, stumbling over his words to the point where he was almost incoherent.

"Gods, Kiran, I'm so sorry! I just for carried away! Are you okay? Let me check--"

I finally managed to catch my breath, and I felt a rush of irritation on the fact that he beat me in out sparring session. Keen for payback, I suddenly feigned weak legs and I fell to my knees, right beside the sword.

Oblivious to this, Alfonse looked even guiltier and proceeded to apologize even further, and I felt a prick of guilt at the shame and regret on his face.

Finally, I spoke.

"I'm all right, really," I said consolingly. Truth be honest I actually was in considerable pain, as he got me right where I had been stabbed. It throbbed angrily and I was expecting a good-sized bruise there the next day.

"-- really, really sorry, I promise I'll never do that again! Are you sure you're okay? Let me take you to--"

"Alfonse!" I said loudly, interrupting him.

He ceased his string of apologies and fell quiet. "What?"

I closed my hand on the hilt of the steel sword and gave it a carefully measured swipe, making it stop just shy an inch from his forehead.

Well, that's what I tried to do.

Instead I misjudged my sweep and the top of the blade made contact with his upper forehead, and I was horrified to see the spatter of blood droplets. Just where his forehead met his hair there was a single slice wound, several inches long--and blood instantly began to pool out of it.

I dropped the sword and gave an involuntary shriek, clutching the sides of my head.

"OH MY GODS, I'M SO SORRY!" I screamed, watching the tiny stream trickle down Alfonse's forehead. "I'm so sorry! _I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry_ \--"

I could vaguely see that Alfonse was trying to speak to me over my voice, but I only increased my volume in an attempt to drown out the panic that was filling my head.

"WHAT THE HELL IS ALL OF THIS NOISE?" A voice boomed, making both me and Alfonse fall silent in surprise. For one heartstopping moment I thought that the king had walked in to see what the noise was about, but instead it was Brady, and he spotted us kneeling on the ground.

"What's going on here?" He demanded. His brow was deeply furrowed, and he was scowling. Waiting for us to reply, he offered us both his hands, which we silently accepted and were violently yanked to our feet.

That's when he noticed Alfonse's bleeding. Brady looked at him, then back at me, then back at Alfonse...and back to me.

"This is what all of the fuss was about?" He demanded incredulously, handing the prince a hankerchief, which he began to mop his forehead with.

"Yes!" I burst out, jabbing a finger directly at Alfonse's forehead. "Look what I did to him?"

Brady scratched the back of his head and shook it, bemused. "What kinda world do you live in that makes a 'lil scratch like that seem deadly to you?"

Both him and Alfonse looked at me, Alfonse not bothering to hide an amused smile.

Heat filled my cheeks and I struggled to speak. "But the...the blood..."

Brady snorted with amusement and ruffled my hair. "Don't worry, kiddo," he said, grinning crookedly. "Head wounds usually look a lot worse than they actually are."

I was still stammering for words when Alfonse removed the scarlet fabric from his head where the blood flow continued.

"You might want to get that looked at, actually," Brady said, frowning. "Y'might need stitches for that."

"Stitches?" I repeated, wincing in guilt. "Oh, Alfonse, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Kiran," he said, still looking mildly amused. "You just surprised me, that's all."

I turned to Brady, anxiously bunching up the collar at my neck. "Is there going to be a scar?"

Brady shrugged unconcernedly. "Dunno. Probably?"

I was about to launch into yet another round of apologies when I was taken by an unexpected round of coughing, and the smiles faltered off of Brady's and Alfonses's faces.

"Lemme take you two to the infirmary," he said, placing a hand on both of our shoulders and quickly escorted us out of the training arena.

We made quite the scene, with Brady sternly shepherding me and the prince like a loyal sheep dog. He stood half a head taller than both of us, and he seemed to be silently daring any passing-byers to question what happened.

My coughing had stopped and all that remained was a slight scratchiness in the back of my throat. However, the pain where Alfonse elbowed me wasn't diminishing. In fact, I could feel warm wetness right where the old stab injury was, and I felt a rush of indignation.

Why does my body hate me? I thought irritably, shouldering my cost on tighter in an attempt to hide the bleeding. It didn't really feel that serious anyway, and we were already heading to the infirmary anyways, so I felt no need to bring attention to it.

However though, almost like he had a sixth sense, Alfonse turned his head to me and his complexion turned a shade whiter, making the sopping handkerchief look more alarming as ever.

He opened his mouth to speak but I quickly interrupted him.

"Hey, I'm all right. You worry about your bleeding, and I'll worry about mine."

This caused Brady to glance at the pebble-sized spot of blood, and he frowned again.

"Damn, Kiran," he said, looking almost impressed. "Ya got some sort of injury magnet there?"

"Don't worry about it," I said quickly as Alfonse gave me an apologetic grimace.

Feeling bad on getting him so worried, I crossed my eyes at him, and he cracked a feeble smile, but I suspected it was mostly to humor me.

To my annoyance, I was unable to hold back an occasional splutter, and I tried to hide it as if I was clearing my throat into a closed fist, but Brady wasn't fooled.

"Don't bother hiding that cough, Kiran," he growled threateningly. "I noticed you missed your afternoon dosage of aniseed syrup!"

Oops. "Oh, gods," I moaned, slapping a palm on my forehead. "I forgot. _Really_!" I added sincerely when Brady shot me a disbelieving look.

"Honestly," Brady muttered irritably, but patting my head all the same. "Maybe you two oughta stay in the infirmary until--" His voice broke off and we were engulfed in a tense silence, the only sound being our footsteps echoing off the polished marble floor and the swishing of Brady's robes as he marched.

Finally I gave a tiny cough (which was only half voluntary) and Brady said in a falsely cheerful voice. "Hey, we're here! C'mon you two, let's get you all patched up."

As warm and maternal Mikoto was, my insides still shriveled in shame when she gently scolded me for my absence for my next dosage.

"I know you're feeling better, Kiran, but you're still in a fragile state. If you waited several hours later then you would be in much worse condition. Please be more responsible next time."

I nodded, unable to look her in the eye as I accepted the tiny glass vial of medicinal syrup. I downed it in one gulp and tried not to pull a face at the strong, overwhelming flavor of aniseed.  
I handed the small container back to the healer and could feel the sticky syrup ooze down my throat, and I absently watched Genny dabbing Alfonse's forehead with a wet cloth. The wound was still bleeding.

I was surprised when Mikoto spoke to me again.

"Take off your coat, Kiran, as we need to assess the damage.

I shouldered the coat off without thinking much of it and began to untie the braiding on the collar of my shirt. It was only when I pulled my top over my head when I remembered Alfonse's presence. Surprised at my lack of concern, I removed it with only the tinest pause when I heard a light smack and I saw that Brady clapped one of his hands over Alfonse's eyes, and Genny, who had just grabbed a needle and thread, jumped in surprise.

Alfonse stiffened in surprise and his shoulders slumped in exasperation. "Is this really necessary?" He asked, although to his credit he wasn't resisting.

"Of course!" Brady exclaimed. "My Ma told me that it was improper to watch women undress!"

This is getting silly, I thought irritably, my temper unexpectedly flaring up. I raised my head over Mikoto's shoulder as she assessed my reopened wound and was about to declare that I honestly didn't care when Mikoto placed a hand on my cheek to get my attention. To my surprise, her usually peaceful smile had hardened into a stern look.

I was thinking she was going to continue to scold me on my tardiness, but she said, "Kiran, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

Puzzled, I shook my head.

Mikoto took a seat by my side, and took one of my hands. It was warm and soft, and I looked in her eyes and was startled to see the concern and sadness filling them.

"You're beginning to lose a lot of weight," she said, and I looked down and was startled on how sharply my ribs protruded. I wasn't emaciated, I hadn't realized how thin I was getting.

"This might have contributed to your pneumonia," Mikoto murmured, "but it also began before you fell ill. We all know you work hard as anyone else, but you're not getting the nutrition you need. If this keeps up, you could develop a serious eating disorder."

I nodded, my entire body feeling hot with shame. The cleaning solvent Mikoto was applying felt especially cold against my skin, and I shuddered and goosebumps rose on my arms. I was expecting more concerned thoughts from Mikoto, but she smiled tenderly and stepped back.

"My goodness, you two," she said to me and Alfonse, shaking her head. "You're both filthy! In order to prevent infection, I recommend both of you bathe."

Brady nodded, narrowing his eyes. Although he didn't speak, his message was clear.

Separately.


	24. Chasing Desires

Just three days left... No, wait. The day was only halfway over, so that made it two and a half...

Gods, where was this time going? Hadn't he just been in battle against Hel? It all only felt like hours since then, yet it was practically a week ago.

Alfonse supposed that Kiran's presence was adding to the seemingly impossibly fast time passage. When he would see her smile, an entire day could pass without him noticing. There was just something about her that would somehow manage to steal all of his focus and attention, and whenever Alfonse was with her, the cold heaviness that plagued his heart would be less noticeable and more easy to bear.

But now, it was just over a few days of coming all to a close. In less than 48 hours, he would be dead. Gone. Away from everyone the he loved--forever. This realization would suddenly possess Alfonse's thoughts in a stifling grip, and he could feel fear and panic fill his thoughts and cloud his mind. It was occurring more and more often, and it was steadily getting more difficult to overcome the fear and think rationally.

Haunting questions began to sidle into his thoughts, causing him to forget whatever he was thinking of in the first place.

Where is Hel going to aim her death blow?

Will I die instantly, or slow enough for everyone to witness me suffer?

Does dying hurt?

What are my final words going to be?

All of this fear and uncertainty was making the block of ice that was Alfonse's heart weigh as heavy as ever, and suddenly desperate for some warmth and sunshine he dropped outside to the castle gardens where he had that conversation with Kiran that felt so long ago.

Thankfully it was deserted, and he took a seat on the stone bench that Kiran usually used, right in front of the giant gurgling fountain that his father had someone make for his mother's birthday years ago.

Alfonse absently watched the sunlight dance off of the rippling surface of the water, and focused all of his energy into enjoying the peace and sunshine. It felt nice, feeling the warmth of the sun dry off his still-damp hair, and he wondered if Kiran had finished bathing yet.

Alfonse's heart rate picked up at the thought of her, and like a bad stomachache, his desire for her presence only grew. Each second that ticked by of his countdown was one second less with Kiran, and it was slowly driving him half-mad with grief.

The smell of honeysuckle and the warmth and peace of the sun made him realize how much he desperately missed her, and he realized at that moment that he just had to see her.

Alfonse quickly stood from the bench and briskly began to leave the small haven of peace and solitude. Sudden chirping and birdsong made him look up, and perched in a snug corner of tree was a neatly-woven bird's nest housing two birds and their eggs. He watched the two birds preen each other and he forced his attention away and continued walking, his stomach feeling dense and heavy, as if he swallowed a rock.

Where was she?

Alfonse reentered the castle and was vaguely aware passing-byers greeting him, and he would give brief pauses to nod and smile.

He passed Celica and Alm, who were holding hands, and Alfonse had a feeling that they were looking for their own place for peace. After that he brushed past Matilda and Clive, who were holding each other closely. Then, he rounded a corner and saw that Reinhardt and Gunnthrá were sitting by each other, kissing passionately.

Not wanting to interrupt them (as he personally knew what that felt like) he took another path and felt a pang of frustration when he glimpsed Eliwood and Ninian sharing their lunches with each other.

Are the gods messing with me? he thought exasperatedly. Each person he passed seemed to be accompanied with their significant other, making Alfonse's frustration and desperation nearly double.

His gait was getting more rushed as he continued to pass couples enjoying the weather and free afternoon, and suddenly the sight of all of the kissing and cuddling made sense.

After exiting the men's bathhouse (which was thankfully empty) he came upon Anna, who quickly informed him that everyone had the afternoon off and was encouraged to enjoy the time with their loved ones. The only thing stopping Alfonse from doing so was the unpredicted concealed panic attack about his looming future.

Now much more forgiving toward everyone's shameless behavior, Alfonse continued his search for Kiran with newfound determination. He whisked past Gray who had Clair up to a wall and was a little surprised to hear Clair breathe, "Drop the childish flirting, Gray, and just kiss me already!"

Gray must have not anticipated this response because for a moment his jaw hung open stupidly, and Clair gave a small snort of impatience before grabbing him by the collar and began to drag him into a more private corner.

Finally-- finally-- Alfonse spotted her crouched behind a bush near the castle's plaza. Without even wondering what she was doing there he picked her up in an embrace and spun on his feet.

"Alfonse!" She gasped, evidently startled. She looked like she was about to ask something but Alfonse refused to give her the chance and kissed her. She instantly started kissing him back and Alfonse was just starting to enjoy the soft feeling of her damp silky hair under his fingertips when sudden squealing made him pause.

"I found you, Kiran, I found you!"

Fae ran up to Kiran and launched herself onto her shoulders, so her face was uncomfortably close to Alfonse's, and he pulled his head back in alarm.

"Shoot!" Kiran complained, withdrawing from the prince. "I didn't think you'd find me so soon."

"That's because I'm the bestest at Hide and Seek!" Fae proudly declared. Then she thoughtfully added, "You prolly shouldn't hide behind someone again, 'coz I could hear you and Pwince Aw-fonse loud and clear!"

"Oh!" Kiran said, sounding embarrassed. "Well, I lost, so you better start searching for Sharena, Myrrh, Tobin and Faye!"

Fae beamed happily and said, "Me and Faye have the same name!"

This statement was said every time Fae was around the young woman and it never seemed to get old for the tiny manakete.

"That's right," Kiran said, smiling fondly. She plucked Fae off her shoulder and placed her on her hip, where she held her like a child. "Where do you think you should look next?"

As Fae screwed up her face as she thought about this, it struck Alfonse on how good Kiran was with children.

 _She would make a wonderful mother_ , Alfonse thought, and the ice in his heart seemed to crack, and he could feel his smile faltering away but quickly enforced it again before anyone could notice.

"Orchards!" Fae suddenly exclaimed, reminding Alfonse that he and Kiran were not alone. "I wanna look in the orchards!"

"All right," Kiran said, adjusting her hold on Fae so she could put her back down. "But don't get in the ways of the nice people working there!"

That was something unique about Kiran. She was always aware of others, and she never once used the word "servant." Rumor held that she found the term condescending and discriminating, something that told Alfonse she was not accustomed to being served and catered to so personally.

Fae nodded and, suddenly looking shy, she tugged on Alfonse's hand and quietly asked, "Pwince Aw-fonse, can I eat a apple?"

"Yes, Fae, you may," Alfonse said, feeling a rush of warmth at the sight of the manakete light up at these words and happily run away, as fast as her little legs could carry her.

 _Was I like that as a child?_ Alfonse wondered thoughtfully. _Was I able to get happy over such trivial things? Had I ever been that innocent?_

He looked back at Kiran, who had a funny look on her face, and he recognized it as the expression she made when trying to remember something, especially something personal and from her past. For a moment it looked like she was going to remember something, until she closed her eyes with a soft exhale of frustration and noticed Alfonse was staring.

"Do you want to finish what we started?" She asked, a sly smile tugging her lips.

For a moment Alfonse was confused, wondering what she could be referring to. Then multiple things popped in his mind. Their kiss that had been interrupted by Fae. Or was it something bigger, like their very first kiss in the meeting room? Or was it when he had been pulled onto the bed by her side? Alfonse then realized that He had been staring at Kiran with a rather blank look on his face.

"Er," he said, unsure if he should guess what Kiran was talking about or to prompt her to elaborate.

Kiran's face flushed a bright red, making her freckles pale in comparison. "The _sword_ lesson!" She said, making a childlike sword gesture with one of her arms.

"Oh!" Alfonse gasped, his face turning just as red. "Yes, of course!" Then, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier, he added, "Are you sure?"

Kiran nodded, still looking flustered, almost frustrated. "Yes, let's go!"

Thoroughly embarrassed, Alfonse followed her into the castle to head into the training arena to continue their sparring.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Gods, I was stupid.

It was a wonderful surprise, being scooped up and kissed by Alfonse, the only person I've ever loved. His hair was still damp and smelled nice and clean, of my favorite aromas of pine needles and lavender. I felt the fabric of his bandage tickling my skin, and I only felt the tiniest pang of guilt.

I wasn't sure why I agreed to playing Hide and Seek in the first place. I was the person Fae asked first, and as I honestly wasn't in the mood for something so lighthearted I looked around for a substitute and saw Faye pass by, looking thoroughly miserable. Her eyes were red and puffy and her head and shoulders were drooping sadly.

It wasn't hard to find out why. It was a common fact that she was still desperately in love with Alm and resented Celica (both Alm _AND_ Celica were aware of this), so of course seeing them and a bunch of other couples enjoying the day would make her so upset.

Knowing that Faye's only plans of the day were to pine and sulk, I said to Fae that Faye was looking awfully sad and lonely and probably needed someone to play with. It mostly worked, until Fae said that we should all play together. Usually I wouldn't have minded, but it would have been awkward if it was just me and the devastated young woman, but thankfully Tobin had been listening and popped in to exclaim, "Gee, that's a pretty swell idea! Do you think I can play, too?"

As Fae was looking more than delighted to have another person to play with, she happily exclaimed that she was going to find more people to play with, and I barely had time to remind her not to bother any of the busy couples before she ran out of sight.

"It's nice of you to think of Faye like that," Tobin said to me, his voice low to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

"I just worry about her, sometimes," I murmured back. "I'm hoping that one of these days I could summon someone she could be happy with."

"You might want to do that soon," Tobin said, raising his eyebrows warningly. "She actually told me recently that the next time you summon a new 'version' of Alm, she's going to try to, and I quote, 'steal him away.'"

Yikes.

"I'll...keep that in mind," I said, grimacing. Then I hopefully added, "Do you know if anyone might be willing to try to befriend or even go out with her?"

Tobin shrugged, looking awkward. "This isn't really my sort of thing," he confessed, "but I could ask some of the guys around here, I guess."

"Thanks, Tobin, that would be great," I said gratefully.

But truth be honest, who would want to be with someone so was obsessed with a person they couldn't be with? I ran through some names in my head who would get along nicely with Faye and her unhealthy devotion?

Maybe the younger version of Chrom, before he had Lucina? Then again that might make things awkward between her and Lucina... What about Roy? No, he was much too young and had Lilina... Perhaps Gordin? He was also an archer...maybe he could use that to bond with Faye?

I continued thinking about this after I found my hiding place, and I was so lost in thought that I was startled when Alfonse picked me up to kiss him. The bold and direct action was rather unlike him but a rather pleasant surprise.

Everything else seemed to melt away when I was with him. Nothing mattered when our lips were locked; the castle could fall under seige and I wouldn't be able to care less.

Gods, I wanted him. I feel like just when things are starting to take a huge turn in our relationship, we would be interrupted. Just once, I would love to see that whole other side of Alfonse--the one he would only show me.

I suddenly couldn't take it anymore when I blurted if he wanted to finish things. Of course I hadn't meant our sword sparring, but the blank expression on his face scared me to the point of completely dropping the idea.

Why did romantic relationships have to be so complex? Why couldn't it be socially acceptable to march up to your partner and declare, "Let's get physically and romantically intimate!"

Yeah, like that wouldn't get some stares and awkward judgement.

Yet, as we headed to the training arena I thought about all of the romantic couples here. I _knew_ for a fact that at _least_ a few of them wouldn't settle for kissing and hugging. The way Reinhardt and Gunnthrá were making out--you just knew where that was going to lead. Hell, there was a chance that every adult couple in the entire castle were going to "get physically intimate" with each other, so why couldn't I and Alfonse be?

I must have been looking considerably bummed by the time we entered the (obviously empty) training arena, because as soon as the doors behind us closed, Alfonse grasped my chin the way he did to pull me for a kiss and said softly, "How about we meet in my bedroom at midnight?"

I nodded, smiling broader than I have ever smiled. Alfonse returned it and gave me a quick peck on the corner of my mouth before sobering up and saying, "Shall we begin where we left off?"

Cheeks sore from beaming, I straightened my face and nodded, forcing myself to focus and remember everything I had been taught.


	25. A Father's Pride

It was hard to focus on my training after our agreement, especially when, during my breaks, both Alfonse and I would see couples getting more and more cozy with each other. Come to think of it, Commander Anna's generous offer for the free afternoon was revealing more and more couples that I hadn't even imagined were together.

First there was Shiro and Laegjarn. While the two of them hadn't been caught doing anything romantic, there was a certain gleam in their eyes as they made eye contact with each other, and there was the fact that it was getting less and less common to see them without each other's company. There was even a sly rumor that Laegjarn was the one who asked Shiro out, something I would hardly believe.

Second, there was Hríd's persistence with Eir's company. While their relationship was far from romantic, there was a gentle light in the Níflan prince's eyes whenever he got her to smile. Somehow, despite all of my efforts (including Alfonse, Sharena and Anna's), Hríd was the one who got her to smile and to open up to the smallest things. He was endlessly impatient with her shyness and lack of social experience, and I was certain that, in due time, their relationship would grow into something both strong and beautiful.

Finally, Genny and Ephraim. Something about Genny that a lot of people didn't know was that she preferred older men. Not for any racy reasons, but because she loved the feeling of being looked after and protected by strong male figures. But Ephraim, bless his heart, was either oblivious to Genny's growing crush on him or didn't have the heart to tell her the truth about where his heart lay (a small part of me was grateful for that; Genny and I had a strong relationship that was almost sisterly, and I would be devastated if my friendship with her were to sour by any means). Still, it broke my heart to see her face light up on the sight of him while his gaze was focused on me.

There were even a few instances where Soliel seemed to take a fancy to a fellow Hero, regardless their gender. I knew for a fact that she had her eye on Ike (who was probably oblivious to this) but I also was sure that I caught her checking Sharena out (in a completely non-confrontational way) and a few other girls her age. But then there was the fact that she found men as old as King Gustav "hunky". I guess Soleil wasn't picky on her type of partner.

Our afternoon off finally ended when Faye was found completely inconsolable, all tears and sobbing. Turns out her "hiding" place in Fae's game of Hide and Seek was a cleverly hidden spot where she spied on Alm and Celica all afternoon. Apparently she finally reached her breaking point when they began to kiss, where she loudly burst into tears and fled the scene, leaving Alm and Celica both startled and confused. After that, all of the hugging, cuddling and kissing ended and our evening went on as normal.

I wasn't sure when I noticed it, but when Sharena asked Alfonse if we were going to hold another search for Hel, but he shook his head. The way he shook it, instead of verbally answering, told me something was wrong. That and the tenseness in his expression told me that something was wrong, and I mentally noted myself to keep an eye on him.

I was constantly at Alfonse's side, slowly watching his complexion drain of color and the muscles in his jaw grow more tense. He was speaking in shorter sentences, his tone dropping, his voice growing more and more quiet.

 _He's in pain,_ I realized, and my heart seemed to sink all the way down to my knees in a mixture of sympathy and guilt. And how he's trying to hide it from me so I wouldn't worry.

Finally I could no longer stand watching him trying to hide his silent suffering and finally when the sun was beginning to rest on the horizon I knew I had to do something. The light outside was turning into a rosy peach color, and everyone was beginning to drift to the dining ball for their final meal. I suddenly took Alfonse's hand and felt a jolt of alarm on the chill of his skin.

"Alfonse," I said, my voice low to prevent anyone passing by from overhearing. "About tonight...I think that..."

My voice drifted off in mild surprise when I saw that the prince wasn't paying any attention. He was staring at someone faroff with a strained, almost frightened expression. I followed his line of sight and saw that his father, King Gustav, had made eye contact with him. I was expecting an angry or harsh expression on the king's face, but instead I was startled to see nothing but sadness. His lined and scarred face seemed to be sagging with grief, and I was startled on how much I appreciated this much raw emotion on the king's face. While I took no satisfaction on seeing him so defeated, it also showed me that, despite being a king and weathered soldier, he was also a father watching his only son's final days end.

The clammy fingers I had grasped in my hand were suddenly torn away and I forced my gaze away from the king and saw that Alfonse was walking away--quickly. His cape was flapping behind him as he fled the scene, and just as he rounded the corner out of sight I saw him quickly brush the back of his hand on one of his eyes. I was about to call his name when I stopped, knowing that it would only make things worse for him.

And he was gone.

The ache in my heart increased to the point where I had to bite my lip to keep from shutting down, and I only knew that Alfonse felt infinitely more times worse than me.

"Oh, my son," a gravelly voice sighed, and a heavy hand placed itself on my shoulder. As startled as I was, I managed not to jump although my breath caught in my throat. For the tiniest, most fleeting second the feeling of King Gustav's hand on my shoulder sent a wave of terror course through my whole body--terror that was completely irrelevant to what was happening now. But, as quickly as it came, it passed, and I was able to turn and face the king without expressing any anxiety.

For an unsettling moment I had no idea what to say, but thankfully he spoke first.

"Thank you, Kiran."

I was stunned. Not only was the King of Askr thanking me, this was also the first time he addressed me by my actual name. For a moment all I could was look at his face in silent disbelief, and finally asked in a tiny voice, "For what?"

Even more unexpectedly, the king smiled. It was more of a feeble upturn on the corners of his lips, but it was a genuine gesture of warmth all the same. It somehow made him look ten years younger, and I even glimpsed the kind warmth that Alfonse always seemed to emanate.

"For everything," he said, his voice quiet, but heavy with gratitude. "For saving my kingdom not once, but twice. For reuniting my children with someone they thought had been lost forever. For filling these cold, empty halls with warmth and laughter. But most of all..." The smile on his face dropped and the look of devastation on his face returned.

"Thank you for being there for my children. The last time I had seen them both so happy together was when they were children, Alfonse especially. I had spent so much time tutoring and training him to be a king that there were times...when I forgot to be there for him, not as a teacher but as a father."

I honestly didn't know what to say. After seeing Alfonse and Sharena's father--the most powerful fighter in Askr--with his sharp strictness in interacting with his children and his ferocity in battle, I had completely forgotten that King Gustav truly loved his son and was going to miss him as much as I was, of not more.

The king sighed and withdrew his hand from my shoulder, his shoulders sagging by just a fraction of an inch. "Just once I would like to tell him how proud I am of him." It looked like he was going to say more, but he fell silent and drifted his gaze to where Alfonse had disappeared from sight.

"Then do it."

It took me a solid five seconds to realize that I was the one who spoke these words. Then, before I had the sense to shut my mouth, I continued speaking.

"If you feel like you haven't been there for Alfonse, there's still time to reconcile."

The king slowly turned back to me, his expression unreadable. Part of myself wanted to shrink away and apologize for speaking out of turn, but I felt too strongly to take anything back.

The wrinkles around King Gustav's eyes had sharpened and I could see them grow distant as he thought about what I told him.

Then he chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm fear that it might be too late for that. I do not know if you have noticed, but my relationship with my son has gotten strained over the years. I'm afraid that he would only shut me out of I tried to tell him how I felt."

I said, "I disagree. Have you not been seeing how he looks at you? It's hopeful, Your Highness. All Alfonse has wanted to do was to earn your praise and approval. Your thoughts on him and his work mean everything to him. I think that if you told him how proud you are of him, it would greatly ease his suffering."

This seemed to have caught the king by surprise, and for a small moment he looked taken aback.

"Is that so?" Surprised expression twisting into guilt he added, "I always thought that he wanted to free himself from my teachings and become independent, such as when he founded the Order of Heroes."

"That is not true," I said, sincere. "Alfonse wants nothing more but to be like you--a king the people depend on and trust."

There was another silence, and the king slowly bowed his head into a nod, his eyes that Alfonse's so greatly resembled becoming thoughtful.

"Thank you, Kiran, for this," he said, his voice slow. Then, "You are truly a voice of reason; I am glad to have you as our chief tactician."

"You're welcome, Your Highness," I said, politely bowing.

King Gustav nodded again, his expression once again unreadable. Although nothing had been said, I knew that I was being dismissed and I quickly bowed again and left the king standing alone, once again thoughtfully looking where Alfonse had left.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

Nearly everyone had had their supper and Alfonse was still missing. As much as this worried and concerned me, I respected his privacy so I didn't do any searching nor mentioned this to anyone.

Alfonse's lack of presence finally seemed to be noticed when I was spotted eating my stew and bread alone. I had a book with me, which happened to be the sequel of "Curse of the Shadow Mirror" (I really was starting to enjoy them) and was absently reading as I lazily stirred my mostly untouched stew.

"Kiran?"

I forced my attention away from the rather thrilling novel and looked up to see Ephraim, looking strangely small without his shining, emerald-green armor. He was slightly taller than Alfonse.

"May I join you?"

I nodded, regretfully closing the book and fished a cube of beef out of my stew to knaw on. I carefully watched Ephraim's expression for any signs of sadness or jealousy, but all I saw was concern, a sight I was getting sick of.

"So what's up?" I asked, slowly chewing the bite of meat.

Ephraim's answer was quick and up front. "This, actually," he said, gesturing at my now lukewarm bowl of stew.

I looked at my bowl then back to Ephraim. "I'm lost," I said, finally swallowing the cube of meat with a slight grimace and grabbed my glass of water to wash it down.

"You're not eating," Ephraim said, his expression hardening sternly.

Again, I looked at my bowl then back to the prince of Renais. Trying not to sound rude, I cracked a smile and asked, "What do you think I'm doing?"

Ephraim didn't smile back. On the contrary, he was beginning to look truly annoyed, which was entirely new for me

"Kiran, I'm serious," he said. "I had Mikoto mention to me that you're almost twenty pounds underweight."

My smile dropped off my face nearly as fast as Alfonse had left earlier. Mikoto had no reason to tell him that...nor does he have any reason to ask... So why does he know this?

I must have looked suspicious because Ephraim gave a small grimace of guilt and confessed, "I noticed you've been looking a little thin, so I asked Mikoto if she's also noticed."

"She has," I said coolly, struggling not to show my growing impatience.

To my annoyance, my lack of enthusiasm on this new subject didn't deter Ephraim, and he continued.

"We all need you at your best, and that includes eating well," he said. "I'm not the only one who's noticed your eating habits. Camilla--"

"Of course," I muttered under my breath, but Ephraim ignored me and said, "You're not eating right. I even asked the chefs what they've been serving you and they said that the only thing you've been requesting is tea..."

My heart skipped a beat. Did he find out about my intended use for the black tea and that I had somewhat manipulated him to a certain extent?

"...and I decided that I'm not going to let you leave this table until you've eaten at least half of this bowl of soup."

I blinked, realizing that I hadn't been listening in my fear of getting caught of my lying. "What?"

It was at this point when Ephraim smiled. "I'm not going to let you leave this table until you've eaten at least half of that bowl of soup," he repeated, looking satisfied at my surprise.

I gave a disbelieving splutter of laughter and glanced around, half expecting people nearby to laugh. The only people sitting near me and Ephraim was Roy and Lilina who both quickly looked away when they realized I caught them staring.

"Is this a joke?" I asked, turning back to Ephraim. I was almost grinning, certain that this was all just some absurd joke.

"Nope," Ephraim said, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. "We've got all night, and I know for a fact that you have no problems taking all-nighters."

I felt heat flood my face in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Since when was it Ephraim's business on what I did and how I did it? This was just silly, not to mention a somewhat childish move to pull.

Not having any of it, I reached to grab my book. I'll just read, I thought irritably, and eventually he'll get bored and give up.

But either Ephraim knew me better than I thought or saw what I was doing, he reached out and grabbed the book at the same time that I was and much to my frustration both of us had a hand on the book.

I narrowed my eyes and grabbed the novel with my other hand and gave it a hearty tug, but it was still being held firm in Ephraim's hand. I glared at him and pulled harder, but his smile only broadened.

"Oh, come on!" I finally burst out angrily, releasing the book in defeat. "This is stupid!"

Without speaking a word, Ephraim nudged my bowl of now cold stew towards me and I sharply pushed it back, my temper rising by the second.  
I was expecting him to push the bowl back, but he must hand sensed that that would only escalate to a mess and he said, "What about if it was warmed up?"

At this point I realized that Ephraim truly was intending to wait here all night if this situation required him, and I shot him a look of pure menace and begrudgingly pulled the bowl back and unglued the spoon that had was partially sink in the stew.

"Good job," Ephraim said, his eyes sparkling teasingly. "Now all you have to do is eat."

Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore, and I wasn't able to hold back a smile. As Ephraim happily returned it my insides tensed with guilt, remembering how much Alfonse was suffering, and I was suddenly reminded that he only had three two days left. The sheer horror of this newfound realization caused me to nearly abandon my stew and Ephraim altogether, but instead I continued to smile as if nothing was wrong and began to finally eat with such enthusiasm to the point where Ephraim had to grab extra napkins to clean all of the stew that I was splattering everywhere.

But, despite all of this, I was grateful for Ephraim and his concern, and I was willing to give up some time to spend with him, as he truly deserved it.

And he only had two days left to be with me.

Two days until I saved Alfonse.


	26. The Nightmares

I tried to enjoy the rest of the evening with Ephraim, but I couldn't stop my mind from straying to Alfonse's well-being. Never before had I seen him like that, and it honestly scared me more than I would like to admit.

Ephraim must have noticed my difficulty focusing and he gave his sad smile that always made my heart ache with pity. I truly loved the Renaisan Prince as a friend, and I would trust him with anything. Well, almost anything.

Finally, after my cold stew had been obliterated and Ephraim kindly asked the kitchens for a quick batch of sticky buns, he at last decided to address the elephant in the room.

"How's the prince?" He asked, gently squeezing my hand.

Noticing that he hadn't mentioned Alfonse by name, my insides seemed to shrink half their size and I dropped my head and bit my lip, my cheeks reddening, not wanting to answer.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, slowly withdrawing my hand from his and anxiously folding them on my lap. I waited for him to ask what I meant, but he was silent.

The atmosphere was thickening and I was suddenly no longer able to look Ephraim in the eye and I dropped my gaze onto my clasping hands, and I noticed they were shaking.

Then, to my surprise, Ephraim said, "It's okay."

I nearly looked back up, but I only closed my eyes and shook my head. "I can't imagine what it feels like," I said softly. I tried to imagine if Alfonse had fallen in love with Fjorm, and the two started a relationship. The thought made a flaming fist squeeze my heart and I instantly pushed the image out of my mind.

"It's not all bad," Ephraim said, and I finally got the courage and looked up from my lap, mildly surprised.

"Really," he said earnestly, now smiling. "It also means that I get to see the woman I care about be happy and get the treatment she deserves."

I shook my head, my eyes dropping back to my hands. "I think she would beg to differ," I said in a small voice.

"Oh, Kiran," Ephraim said, cupping a hand against one of my cheeks. Before I could stop myself I placed my hand on top of his and held it closer. It was warm and reassuring, and for a moment I closed my eyes and enjoyed the smell of his soft skin, a mixture of fragrance of citrus fruit and the freshness of the ocean.

When I reopened my eyes I nearly jumped back in alarm when I saw that his face was less than a foot from mine. His eyes were a startling sapphire, so unlike Alfonse's. That's when I noticed I wasn't pulling back. Ephraim's hair was shining golden in the lighting, and I wondered how soft his hair would be of I ran my fingers through it. He drew even closer, his eyes warm and kind. He fingered a strand of hair that was framing my face and I felt my eyes closing.

"Oh! Am I interrupting something?"

I had nearly fallen over in my scramble away from Ephraim's face, and I felt like a giant chasm was breaking open in my chest and swallowing my heart on what I had nearly done. I was so devastated that I hardly noticed that the person who had interrupted was one of the castle's bakers, holding a steaming tray of piping hot sticky buns.

"Oh, you weren't," Ephraim said, his voice slightly breathless. "Thank you."

Oh gods oh gods oh gods...

Thankfully the baker left without any questions and I quickly scanned our surroundings in search of anyone who could have seen what had nearly occurred. Thank Mila we were alone, Roy and Lilina having left around twenty minutes ago.

I stood up, suddenly angry at Ephraim. Had he planned this? Was all of this intentional?

Ephraim must have seen the darkening look on my expression, and he looked absolutely mortified. "Kiran," he said cautiously, his expression suddenly desperate. "Let me explain."

I quickly spun on my heels, turning my back to him. "I have to go," I said in a low voice, unable to hide a tremor in my voice.

"Kiran, wait!" Ephraim pleaded as I began to speed walk away. "I swear that I didn't mean to--"

"Good night, Ephraim," I said coldly, breaking into a run, ignoring him calling me back. Once the echoes of his voice faded into silence I skidded to a halt suddenly exhausted. My stomach was churning unpleasantly, and I leaned my back against the wall and slid to the floor. I pulled my hood over my entire head and pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face in my arms.

Boiling hot guilt was washing through my body, blistering all of my insides. Of that baker hadn't unexpectedly dropped by, then I might have...

One your away from Alfonse and with Ephraim had nearly gotten me to kiss him, and I moaned softly in a mixture of self-hatred and regret. But that's not the only thing that was making me miserable. Remembering the look of horror on Ephraim's face and his desperation to explain clearly told me that none of this had been intentional, but that didn't cause any of my anger towards him to abate.

Finally, I pulled myself together and stood back up. Twilight was nearly over, and most of the light in the corridor I had stopped in were being illuminated by torches, making shadows flicker and shift. That's when I noticed where I was.

I was in the wing that contained Alfonse's room. The place I had chosen to rest was right on the left to the door to his entrance. For a moment I considered knocking but stopped myself, my fist less than an inch from the door.

Despite it not being late enough to expect others to be asleep, I had a feeling that the pain Alfonse was enduring was leaving him exhausted, both physically and mentally, and I was fairly certain that he must be asleep at this point.

Not wanting to wake him up I turned to leave, but something was holding me back. Despite the conclusion I had just come to, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had to go to Alfonse's side. Was my guilty subconscious trying to make up for me nearly kissing Ephraim? Or was it like the sixth sense that Alfonse seemed to have whenever I was in pain and needed company?

Suddenly nervous, I very lightly knocked on his door, hardly more than some tapping.

Nothing.

Steeling myself, I knocked harder, this time audible enough to be heard from both ends.

Still, nothing.

Truly anxious at this point I took a steadying breath and twisted the knob and slowly began to pull. I was terrified that there would be some creaking of rusty hinges, but everything was dead silent--

No, wait...

I could faintly hear labored breathing and soft moans and grunts of pain. Frightened, I opened the door wider to allow some light into the room and saw that Alfonse was asleep in his bed but must be experiencing a nightmare. He was tossing and turning fitfully, his face twisted in agony, his lips forming inaudible words.

Concerned, I lit the lantern on his nightstand and gently closed the door behind me. I sat by his side and wiped some cold sweat off his temple and whispered, "Alfonse."

I was expecting him to sleep through this, but at the sound of his name his eyes flew open and he gave a sharp gasp. For a moment he looked disoriented and confused, then he saw me and gave a slow, drawn out sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, frowning.

"Yes, I'm okay," Alfonse answered, still sounding slightly breathless.

He most certainly did not look okay. His skin was chalk-white and his nightclothes were clinging to his body from his coldsweats. He took another shaky breath and ran his hands down his shining face.

"I'm okay," Alfonse repeated, although his voice was notably weaker. "I'm sorry for concerning, Kiran."

Suddenly I knew what to do. I stood from his bed and went over to his biggest floor-to-ceiling window and pulled the curtains aside. I then slid the window open, inviting in a freshly cool breeze to clear away the smell of stale sweat.

"Kiran?" Alfonse feebly asked, propped up on one elbow. "What are you doing?"

Instead of answering I gave him a quick smile and said, "I'll be right back," and, ignoring the bleary puzzlement on his still pale face I exited the room, closing the door behind me.

I hope he wasn't thinking of our original midnight plans, as that no longer felt relevant or even important anymore. I didn't care if we didn't have our romantic night alone, and seeing Alfonse looking so vulnerable after waking up from a nightmare stirred something in my sealed-up memories.

I made my way to the kitchen as fast as I could and asked for two things: a mug of some peppermint hot cocoa and another mug of lemon chamomile tea.

Somewhere deep in my long-forgotten memories were some images, smells, tastes and sensations. I'm not sure how or why I'm remembering something like this, but I could clearly recall waking up from nightmares similarly as Alfonse had done. Then someone whom I strongly suspected to be my mother would give me a mug of steaming lemon chamomile tea while she herself drank peppermint hot cocoa.

My distantly churning memories were suddenly interrupted when someone, who actually happened to be Flora, hand me the two steaming beverages. Although no words were exchanged, there was a knowing look in the male's eyes that told me she knew who the drinks were for. I thanked her and left as quick as I could without spilling any of the drinks.

I suddenly paused as I was passing through the dining area, and I looked where I had finished my stew with Ephraim. Forcing myself not to think of what nearly occurred there I made my way to the hall that housed Alfonse's room.

Thankfully the door was partially open so I nudged it further open and entered, where I saw that Alfonse had donned a nightrobe and was sitting on the edge of his bed. His posture was slightly hunched but he quickly straightened up when he saw me.

"There you are," Alfonse said, looking slightly relieved. I handed him his tea, and I quickly noticed that when he reached out to take it his hands were trembling considerably.

"Thank you, Kiran," he said, and I took a seat on his right. Together, we drank our steaming hot drinks in silence. After a particularly long sip he gave a long sigh of relief, and I could see his stiff frame relaxing. Then, to my surprise, he leaned into my side and rested his head on my shoulder. The warmth of my cocoa seemed to full my entire chest and I leaned my head against his, and a comfortable silence unfolded before us.

"Thank you," Alfonse softly repeated, turning his head to plant a kiss on my temple. "I needed this."

I closed my eyes and nodded with a small smile, savoring the smell of pine and lavender with his tea. The smell of paradise.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but our mugs were nearly empty when the door unexpectedly clasped shut, and noticing my sudden alarm Alfonse whispered, "Don't worry, my mother just closed it."

I nodded, slightly guilty I had just missed her. I was truly growing fond of the queen and wanted to thank her for everything.

Alfonse drank the last swallow of his tea and stretched his arms, sighing softly. He then quietly said, "It's getting late. You must be tired."

I nodded and stood up. I was already feeling the chill of my longly uninhabited room and I was tempted to ignore him and wriggle under his blankets and sleep by his side.

Instead I forced myself to make my way to the door and wrapped a hand around the bronze doorknob and gave one final look at Alfonse. He was looking slightly agitated and looked at my hand on the knob. Then he forced a smile of farewell and said, "Good night, Kiran."

"Night," I whispered, opening the door and stepping into the chilly, dark corridor and closed the door behind me with a tiny click.

Every ounce of warmth I had from the cocoa and Alfonse's presence had vanished as if I had plunged into an icy lake, and I shivered. I thought about how the only thing separating us was just a door--a mere slab of wood--and how easy it would be to go back in and do what I oh-so desperately wanted to do: to curl up by his side and fall asleep in his arms.

Shivering again I left for my living quarters, which was on the opposite end of the castle. Each step I took seemed to make my body temperature drop, and I could feel the gaping chasm in my chest return, only this time it was merrily gnawing on my bruised and aching heart.

Not bothering to undress or even remove my coat and boots, I flumped on top of my head and burrowed under my blankets and sheets. Not even a second had passed when I had fallen asleep.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"Mortal," Hel purred, her coal-bright eyes gleaming from deep inside their sockets. "Now is the time for your life to end."

Alfonse gave a pained gasp and attempted to speak, his voice strained. "I... I can't..."

"There is no escape," Hel said, savoring the sight of the struggling prince, the corners of her black lips curving upward. "So many have tried so desperately."

Wordlessly, she raised her scythe, and it gleamed eerily.

"The time has come. My scythe is ready."

Alfonse feebly turned his head towards me, his eyes bleak with misery and regret.

"Kiran," he murmured, "I'm so sorry."

I saw the blade of Hel's scythe gleam in my peripheral vision, and my body acted before I could get the chance to look Alfonse in the eye and tell him not to be, and that everything was going to be okay.

Without uttering a single word I three myself in front of Alfonse, my arms spread to the sides protectively. It felt like I was moving in cold gelatin; everything seemed to be moving by impossibly slowly, just inches at a time. I turned my head to get one last look at Alfonse's face and saw it go from resigned regret to alarmed surprise, then to utmost terror. His jaw was slowly gaping open to mouth something but I looked away just in time to see Hel's scythe slice through my body. I could sense everything, from the iciness of the blade cutting my flesh to the agony of skin tearing and nerves being severed. I felt a puff of air on the back of my neck as Alfonse shouted, "NO!" The blade finally finished coursing through my body and I saw the glittering, ruby-like droplets of blood splatter outwards.

Then, like a click of some fingers, time righted itself, and I dropped to my knees and was about to fall forward when Alfonse grabbed me and turned me so I slumped into his arms. I could feel the entirety of my torso instantly becoming soaked with blood, and it felt hotter and stickier than normal.

"You...shielded him."

The sound of Hel's usually silky smooth voice was tinged with shock, and I didn't need to turn around to see that her eyes were widened.

The air was suddenly full of voices and I was dimly aware of my blood drenching the front of Alfonse's clothing and I could feel my head growing light and cloudy, my muscles slackening.

"How does it feel, Prince Alfonse?" Hel ask, her dimming voice taunting. "To feel the life of the woman you love slowly drain away in your arms...all because she protected you from a mistake that was of your own creation?"

Alfonse seemed to be at a loss for words. His attention shifted to me, then to, Hel, then back to me.

Then he spoke.

"Leave."

The single word was spoken so softly that I almost didn't hear it at all.

"I beg your pardon?" Hel asked, her tone positively joyous.

"I said leave."

Alfonse spoke these words a little louder, and I could practically see the rage and hatred etched into every syllable. His hold on me tightened, and I could feel his whole body trembling in wrath.

When nothing else was said, Alfonse spoke once more, his voice dropping to a murmur.

"I said leave. Right. Now."

I had never heard Alfonse speak in this tone of voice. It was deep and dangerously soft, and I thought I could remember hearing someone speak to me like that before, but my murky thoughts prevented me from remembering.

"Oh?" Hel asked, sounding as if she was being threatened by a small, harmless child. "And what are you going to do if I don't?"

Alfonse's answer was quick and concise.

"Then I will kill you right then and there, and no member of your army and forces will stop me."

Somehow, despite hearing multiple times that Hel couldn't be killed, I was one hundred percent certain that Alfonse was speaking the truth, immortality be damned if he wasn't going to try.

Hel chuckled but I was unable to hear what she said, and as quick as a breath of wind, she vanished.

Alfonse's hold on me was adjusting so we were able to look at each other. His face was streaked with my blood, but that wasn't what scared me.

His pale navy-colored eyes were rapidly filling with tears and his face was becoming twisted in pain.

"Why, Kiran?" He quietly demanded, his hot teardrop landing on my forehead. "Why? Why would you do something like this?"

I feebly worked my lips in an attempt to answer but soon found that I held no strength to do so, so instead I smiled reassuringly. As soon as I did my head dropped limply and my eyes became vacant, and the thready pounding in my chest had stopped.

"N-No," Alfonse said numbly, his breath catching in his throat. "No...no. Kiran. Kiran! KIRAN!"

My vision became obscured as Alfonse held my still body to his chest, and he began to tremble with his erratic breathing.

"No...no...no..."

His entire body was shaking as he began to weep uncontrollably, his grip on my body gradually tightening as if he was afraid my body was going to leave him too.

Soon all I could hear was Alfonse gasping for breath as he sobbed and he slowly began to rock back and forth, running a hand down my hair.

"Please, gods, let this just be a dream," he whispered. "Please...let this all just be a dream...please...please..."

Suddenly I woke up in bed, hyperventilating. I suddenly wasn't able to take in any oxygen and I was gasping uncontrollably for air. I collapsed out of bed and thudded to the floor in a sweaty, trembling heap.

Had all of that happened? Did I actually go through my plan and save Alfonse, but his wish came true? Had I really just been killed?

It was too dark to see if I was still covered in blood, and my skin and clothes felt damp enough to be, and I could feel my pounding pulse throbbing through my entire body, and I could feel a choking lump rise in the back of my throat. Shaking as bad as Alfonse had been in my nightmare I ignited a lantern and nearly passed out in pure relief when I saw that my clothes, although wrinkled and soaked with sweat, were free of blood.

I gave a dry sob and ran my hands down my face. Although I wasn't completely sure, I had a strong feeling that I had just seen how Alfonse would react to my plan on saving his life. I didn't think he would become so...broken. Destroyed. Emotionally naked.

Then, for the first time since I had first thought up of my plan I gave it second thoughts. I did not anticipate that I would bring him this much agony in what I thought was a noble act. Was my life and his pain worth it?

Suddenly keen to rid myself of my sweaty clothes I peeled them off and tossed them into a pile. Changing into a freshly-washed nightgown I crawled back into bed, but my heart was still pounding too fast to relax.

Suddenly I couldn't take this lonliness anymore. I shouldered on a silken nightrobe and left my room. The walk back to Alfonse's room was noticeably less colder. Maybe the prospect of returning back to Alfonse was warning me up?

When I arrived at the entrance to his room I didn't hesitate this time and opened the door noiselessly and tiptoed in. I wasn't sure how much time had passed so I wasn't certain if Alfonse was back asleep or not, but I didn't care. I silently closed the door behind me and quietly lay myself on the empty spot on Alfonse's bed. I burrowed under the blankets until I found his blissfully warm, sturdy body and snuggled up to it and instantly fell back asleep, my entire body relaxing.


	27. Afraid

It was around late afternoon when Alfonse was beginning to sense the telltale chill begin to wear his body down. It was getting worse—the icy burn that was spreading through his veins and the crushing weight that was burdening his heart; Hel's curse was doing its job well, and it was growing more difficult to hide it from everyone, especially Kiran.

Alfonse could tell that he wasn't fooling Kiran, and his fear and pain would only increase as his love's worry was growing more and more evident. He thought back on his promise and was quickly overwhelmed in shame.

I shouldn't have made those arrangements, he thought dimly as he heard the distant tolling of the clock striking the fifth hour, and he involuntarily took a sharp intake of breath. It was strange...he had been hearing this clock his whole life and only now was it beginning to truly feel like an omen of endings.

"Alfonse?"

Alfonse felt a warm, soft hand gently squeeze his own, but he didn't respond. He was faintly aware of Kiran speaking to him in a quiet and concerned tone, but all of his focus was directed at his father, who was standing not far. The bell was still tolling when he made eye contact with the king, and there was a peculiar moment when an unspoken sort of message had been exchanged.

The light of the approaching sunset seemed to fill the weathered lines of king Gustav's face, making him appear much older than he was. His usually stern face was burdened with an expression that Alfonse rarely ever saw on his father's face. It seemed to be sagging under immense pressure, his skin a shade paler than normal, but it was his eyes that scared Alfonse the most.

They were deep, round pools of immeasurable sadness and grief, and Alfonse was startled to find his vision becoming blurred with tears. Desperate not to let anyone see, he turned tail and left, moving as quickly as he dared, briskly brushing a hand across his dampening face.

He made it to his personal chambers just in time to allow the tears to flow freely, and he sat on his bed and held his face in his hands. All of the emotions he had been forcing in the back of his mind with a carefully made wall, which had unexpectedly burst at the sight of his father's sadness. Shame, guilt, and fear seemed to have filled Alfonse's entire being, and he knew it was no use to attempt to suppress it all any further.

Scalding hot tears continued to pour down his cheeks and Alfonse bit his lip in an effort not to make any noise. Very rarely did he weep like this, and each time he hated it. It was moments like this when he resented being so emotionally vulnerable—so undeniably human. In every waking moment, he tried to be like his father: strong, powerful, unyielding. Yet despite his best efforts, there was no way to permanently seal away fears and doubts.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Alfonse's head snapped up apprehensively, unsure if he should answer it. He didn't dare speak aloud for the fear of giving away his emotional state, but he didn't want to risk missing something potentially vitally important.

"Alfonse, it's me."

The sheer relief on the recognition of his mother's voice made Alfonse exhale shakily, and, still not keen on speaking, unlocked the door and sat back on his bed, quickly mopping his face with his hands in an attempt to hide the tears.

The door opened a crack, and queen Henriette peered in. She caught her son's eyes and breathed, "Oh, my precious son..." She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her and took a seat by Alfonse, who was unable to prevent his face from contorting into sadness, and quickly wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders and hugged her tightly.

The queen said nothing but held her son back and silently comforted him by stroking a hand up and down her eldest child's back in a soft and soothing manner, occasionally hushing him when Alfonse risked a hiccup or a gasp of breath. 

After a bit, Alfonse took a steadying breath and murmured, "I'm sorry, Mother." Withdrawing from their embrace as gently as he could he cringed and added, "You must be busy. Please don't let me—"

"Hush, little one," Queen Henriette said softly, her face glowing with undisguised love for her only son. "Please allow me to be your mother and let me fuss over you."

Alfonse chuckled shakily and nodded and the two of them continued embracing. After a cozy silence, his mother murmured, "It's okay to be afraid."

This caught Alfonse by surprise, and he found that he couldn't think of anything to say as a response to this. After several heartbeats of silence, he whispered, "I...try so hard not to be."

"I know you do," Queen Henriette said quietly, resuming her gentle stroking. More time passed, and gradually Alfonse managed to relax and his tears finally stopped.

Finally, Queen Henriette withdrew once more and gently wiped away the last of the tears off of Alfonse's face, and said, "Whenever I am afraid, I found that finding courage is easier if I tell someone how I feel."

Alfonse nodded, his gaze resting on his lap. "Yes, but...Sharena...and Kiran..."

"You don't need to tell them if you're not comfortable doing so," his mother assured. "Sometimes just saying the words aloud can help."

Alfonse closed his eyes and slowly took a deep breath. Forcing his eyes open, he looked at his mother in the eye and said in a quiet but steady voice, "I...am afraid."

Queen Henriette nodded encouragingly and said, "Good. Admitting fear is the next step to becoming a good king."

The tiny flame of warmth and peace that was rising inside Alfonse was snuffed at these words, and his face fell. "Mother," he said reproachfully, but his mother hushed him and said, "There will always be hope if you look for it, my little rabbit."

Caught off guard, Alfonse gave a small splutter of amusement and shook his head. "You haven't called me that since I was four," he recalled, smiling at the old memory.

"Fifteen years ago," Queen Henriette agreed, smiling also. Standing, she turned to leave but gave her son a quick glance. "It must nearly be suppertime. Shall I have someone fetch you your evening meal?"

Alfonse shook his head. His stomach was feeling tense and tight after such an emotional episode, and he didn't wish to call attention to the fact that he had been absent for such a long time.

"No, thank you, Mother. I'm feeling fine."

"All right," said his mother, although there was a note of disapproval in her tone. Giving a final smile of farewell, she whispered, "I love you, my son. Good night." And she left, gently closing the door behind her as she exited.

There were those three words again, Alfonse thought dimly as he began to undress. And like before, I didn't say anything in response, he realized, somewhat guiltily.

Mentally promising that he would reciprocate next time, Alfonse fell asleep.

⁑ ♛ ✧ ♛ ✧ ♛ ⁑

"Mortal," Hel purred, her coal-bright eyes gleaming from deep inside their sockets. "Now is the time for your life to end."

This is it, Alfonse thought, his eyes following the movement of Hel's scythe. He tried to reach for Fólkvangr, but he found that he was unable to move. All of his muscles all seized in unison, and he gave an involuntary gasp of pain and alarm. "I... I can't..." He stammered, unable to speak further.

"There is no escape," Hel said in cold relish, her shadowed eyes burning like topaz flames. "So many have tried so desperately." Then, the corners of her raven-black lips curling upwards, she raised her blade, and for the briefest moment Alfonse caught his reflection; he did not nearly look as scared as he felt.

"The time has come," Hel said in ecstasy, the glow in her eyes brightening. "My scythe is ready."

Alfonse tore his stare away from Hel and turned his head to Kiran; he didn't want that haunting gloating face to be the last thing to see before the end. He locked his eyes with Kiran's and murmured the only thing he could think to say to the first woman he ever loved.

"Kiran..." he murmured, "I'm so sorry."

Alfonse wasn't sure how Kiran would react to this; a small part of him was even surprised that Hel was allowing him to live long enough to apologize.

Kiran's peach-colored eyes had suddenly hardened, and before Alfonse could even wonder what she was thinking she had thrown herself directly in front of him, her sweeping hair partially shielding his eyes as Hel unleashed her signature attack.

No, Alfonse thought as he watched the gleaming blade sweep across Kiran's body. No...

"NO!" He gasped in one final hope for Hel to stop, but it was too late. The blade had finished its course and Kiran was slowly dropping, and Alfonse lunged out and caught her just as her knees hit the ground. He spun her so she faced him, and she instantly went limp and slumped into his chest, and Alfonse could feel her spilled blood, hot and steadily flowing, already soaking through his clothing. Could she already be...?

"You...shielded him."

Hel's voice, sounding utterly dumbstruck, brought Alfonse back to reality, and he remembered the Sovereign of Death's presence, and he felt Kiran stir faintly, her breathing labored.

Hel must have recovered from her surprise because her smile returned and she asked in a sickly sweet voice, "How does it feel, Prince Alfonse? To feel the life of the woman you love slowly drain away in your arms..."

No. No, no, no, no, no...

"...all because she protected you from a mistake that was of your own creation?"

She's right, Alfonse faintly realized. This is all my fault.

Alfonse looked back at Kiran, whose skin was paper-white, blood continuing to pour out of her lethal wound. He looked to Hel once more and was suddenly breathless at the rage and hatred that was filling both his entire body and mind. Never before had he wanted someone to die, and to die as painful as possible, and he found his voice and spoke in a tone he had never used before.

"Leave."

"I beg your pardon?" Hel asked, looking positively gleeful at this point.

"I said leave."

Alfonse held Kiran closer to his body, hardly noticing that he was shaking uncontrollably, although he was unsure if it was out of shock, fear, or this newfound sense of burning raw animosity.

Strangely, Hel said nothing to this and merely watched him hold the dying Kiran in his arms. His rage increasing by each second, Alfonse spoke again, his voice unrecognizable to his own ears.

"I said leave. Right. Now."

"Oh?" Hel asked mockingly as if she was being threatened by a tiny, inept child. "And what are you going to do if I don't?"

Alfonse didn't even need to think of an answer before replying in his smoothest yet chilliest voice, "Then I will kill you right then and there, and no member of your army and forces will stop me."

He was full aware of all of Eir's warnings and statements, but immortality be damned if he wasn't going to make Hel pay for what she had just done.

Hel chuckled softly, and like a wisp of smoke being blown away with a breeze, she vanished.

Alfonse returned his full attention to Kiran and felt his heart drop to his stomach when he saw how pale and limp Kiran was. Unsure if she was even still alive, he held Kiran closer to his body so that his face was level with hers and was vaguely surprised to see teardrops land on her cheek, where they trickled downwards and mixed with some of the blood spattered on her face. 

"Why, Kiran?" He softly moaned, an additional tear landing on her face. "Why would you do something like this?"

It was clear that at this point Kiran was incapable of speaking, so instead smiled reassuringly before slackening completely, eyes becoming vacant and unseeing.

Alfonse didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say or how to react. All he knew was that Kiran was dead and it was his fault.

For a moment all he could do was look at her blank, almost sleepy expression, her eyes half open, the reassuring smile still lingering on her lips.

Dead.

She was dead.

The full-blown realization hit Alfonse in a crushing wave, and he wordlessly held her body to his chest, the crown of her head just under his chin. He could feel the blood that was continuing to leave her body, still warm.

"Please, gods," he whispered, gently rocking Kiran's body back and forth, as if attempting to soothe a crying child. "Please let this just be a dream. Please, please just let this be a dream...please..."

"Alfonse."

The prince's eyes flew open and he gave an involuntary gasp as his vision went from Kiran's bloody corpse to Kiran looking down at him from above. Her shining hair was pooling over her shoulders, and her face, rosy and full of color, was undeniably concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, her peach-colored eyes wide and full of worry.

"Yes," Alfonse feebly replied, trying to calm his ragged breathing, "I'm okay."

In an attempt to calm himself he ran his hands down his face, his skin uncomfortably moist with cold sweat.

When he saw that Kiran looked far from being consoled, he took a steadying breath and said in a more feeble voice, "I'm okay."

Now that he was fully awake, he was aware of how fast his heart was beating and how chilly he was from his damp night clothes. Then, as abrupt as a flash of lightning, the icy agony in his heart returned and he was unable to hold back a wince.

For a moment Alfonse was worried that Kiran had noticed, but her attention seemed to drift to the floor-to-ceiling window. With a business-like expression, Kiran quickly walked to the window, pulled the curtains apart and opened the windows. Immediately a warm breeze trickled in, smelling of honeysuckle.

Looking pleased at this, Kiran quickly began to make her way to the door. Not having the energy to get up and join her, Alfonse propped himself up on one elbow to get a better look at her and asked, "Kiran? What are you doing?"

Kiran smiled. It was a vague yet reassuring smile that finally got his breath and heart to steady.

"I'll be right back," she promised, quickly leaving, softly closing the door behind her as she left.

It was at this point when it finally registered to Alfonse on what had just occurred: Kiran had awoken him from a nightmare--a hellishly realistic nightmare. It had felt so real that Alfonse couldn't help but wonder if everything in his dream had happened, but the gods took pity and changed the terrible reality to a single nightmare.

Unexpectedly embarrassed, Alfonse sat up in bed and lit a lantern. Now that everything was being bathed in a warm, golden light, he felt much more awake and present, not to mention calm. Then, knowing Kiran wasn't going to return empty-handed, he opened the door ajar and donned his night robe. Making his bed once more, he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Kiran to return.

Only a few minutes had passed when the door was nudged open, revealing Kiran entering, holding two steamy mugs. Even before she reached him Alfonse caught the aromas of lemon and peppermint.

"There you are," he said, unable to hold back a sigh of relief. Despite knowing Kiran wasn't going to be long, it still made him uncomfortable watching her leave his sight, especially after his nightmare, and nothing was more welcome than seeing her return with his favorite tea.

"Thank you," Alfonse said gratefully as he accepted his steaming beverage. He hand trembled as he took the mug, and he hoped Kiran hadn't noticed. If she did, she didn't say anything.

Together, both he and Kiran drank their tea and hot cocoa in silence. For a moment Alfonse debated whether to tell Kiran of his nightmare, but soon decided not to. The last thing he wanted to do was re-experience everything again.

Taking a long sip, Alfonse wondered how Kiran knew that his favorite flavor of tea was lemon chamomile. Perhaps it was a coincidence? Regardless the case, there couldn't have been a better way to calm down than to drink his favorite hot drink with the woman he loved. And, to his amazement, the unrelenting chill in his chest began to thaw, and Alfonse rested his head on one of Kiran's .

"Thank you," Alfonse repeated, turning his head to plant a kiss on Kiran's temple. "I needed this."

The silence that followed was warm and comfortable, and Alfonse savored the sensation of Kiran sitting by his side, his cheek being tickled by her hair that smelled of honeysuckle and vanilla. Gradually, the ice in his heart was now a mere ache, easy to ignore.

Sudden movement outside caught Alfonse's attention and he caught his mother's eye, who beamed at him, mouthed, "Good night!" and silently closed the door. The sound of the door closing caused Kiran to jump, and as the prince consoled her and explained what happened, a small part of him was concerned on how jumpy she was.

Then again, Alfonse reminded himself, she had gone through a lot within the past few weeks.

Stretching his arms, he chastised himself for being selfish. Kiran needed rest, and here he was, using up her night.

"It's getting late," Alfonse said, lowering his arms. "You must be tired."

Kiran nodded and took the last swallow of her cocoa. When she lowered the mug she still had chocolate residue on her face, and to Alfonse's slight amusement she wiped it away. She stood up and went to the door and placed a hand on the doorknob.

There was a silence, less comfortable than the one like before and more tense.

I can't distract her like this, Alfonse thought, irritated at himself. Forcing a smile he said, "Good night, Kiran."

"'Night," Kiran whispered, and exited the room and closed the door behind her without another word.

Despite the warm breeze and being full of hot tea, Alfonse felt strangely cold. Without Kiran, his room suddenly felt chilly and empty, and upon realizing this, the frostiness that had been thawing so gently from his heart returned, and he was unable to hold back a pained gasp.

Hel's curse was as painful as ever, and Alfonse could barely hold back a groan of agony. The ice that was filling his chest seemed to be spreading, and he could feel the chill spread to his limbs, making them feel disturbingly heavy.

For a while Alfonse laid in the dark, slowly being tortured by the agony of the curse. It had been hard to believe that just ten minutes ago he was so warm and happy.

Then, just as he was beginning to fear that he would not get any sleep, he heard his door open and close. For some reason, he felt no fear or even confusion. Instead, he felt relief. Sheer, blissful relief as he felt Kiran climb into bed beside him and press up to his side, her body soft, solid, and so undeniably warm.

Then, as he was drifting off, Alfonse felt the icy chill of Hel's curse abate as he snuggled closer to Kiran, and within a minute, they were both asleep.


End file.
